The Sound Of Silence
by Stargategeek
Summary: Magnus finds Nikola Tesla the only surivor of a ruthless slaughter of two peaceful Abnormal clans, leaving him in a state she has never seen him in, helpless.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Just Black

All he saw was black.

Everywhere.

No matter where he looked all he saw was black.

He could hear, if there was anything to hear, it was deathly silent to his ears, but he could hear his own breathing, recognized the slight panic in his tone.

He could feel too.

He was hyper-aware of the beads of sweat on his brow, and the shaking in his hands as he felt around him.

And he could smell.

That was the worst.

It smelt of burnt wood and grass, and blood, he could smell the rusty metallic scent of blood, despite his de-vamping that sense never left him, and now it surrounded him, like a blanket.

He just couldn't see.

He could feel himself blinking, shutting his eyes then re-opening them, but the view never changed, just black, it was like all the light in the world had been sucked away. He raised his hands, he knew they were in front of his face, when he breathed the hot breath bounced off the palms and hit his cheeks. He felt his thumbs just a hair's breadth away from the skin on his jaw. His hands were covered in something, a liquid, thicker than water, but warmer than mud.

He heard his heart thump louder.

He felt his skin crawl.

He just couldn't see.

He ran his hands over the ground beside him searching for something, anything, a phone maybe, a lifeline of some sort to save him from this endless black.

He felt his mouth open, and he heard himself cry out for help, his voice strained and panicky. He felt hot tears slip down his cheeks as he felt around.

"Is anyone there?" he cried.

He heard no answer.

His hands came into contact with something, soft, fleshy, cold.

He tried to see it with his hands, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hair, pulse?

No pulse.

He backed away from it as more of the sticky wet substance touched his fingers.

The smell filled his nostrils.

He let out another audible cry as he moved rapidly away from the dead body; it wasn't a creatures, it was human, and it was dead. Not even in rigor mortis yet.

"Please anyone help!" he cried again, the panic in his chest rising more. His ears were filled with the sound of his heart thumping like a drum.

"Come on, SEE!" he shouted at himself, smacking himself across the face. He felt the sting, and the heat, but he saw nothing.

His hand slipped and he fell along another body, he felt around for the pulse, he felt everything but and he moved away just as he did the first one.

He was surrounded; by the smell, the blood, the great expanse of nothing, the silence, the blackness.

There was no way out, and he didn't trust his legs to stand, they couldn't stand. It hurt too much, that he felt all too well.

Everything stung, even his chest.

"H-help!" he cried once more, the panic finally bursting through, and his chest heaved, and the trembling in his hands moved toward his whole body, he felt himself fall on to his back, he couldn't tell if he was still falling or not.

He reached a hand up hoping someone would grab it as he let out a pained scream.

He was falling in black.

All black.

Just black.

And there was no one alive to hear him scream.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Questions

_**~~~~24 Hours Ago~~~~**_

"Helen it is absolutely a drag down here, why couldn't one of the children do this?" Nikola whined over the skype connection.

"Because, you signed on for this, it's not fair that you get to sit at home and play with your little toys while everyone else does the hard work, we discussed this when I asked you to join my team, you know that," Helen sighed, smiling slightly, amused at his plight.

"I just thought that was an excuse to keep me around," he smirked in his usual cheeky manner.

"To help, not for the reasons you think," she laughed.

"But it's third world, the best accomodations here is the honeymoon hut, and I don't plan to join in connubial bliss unless you care to join me down here," he smirked even wider and Magnus shook her head.

"Not likely Nikola," she said and he shrugged.

"Couldn't you have sent me to somewhere nice, there's not even a wine store for miles, if they even drink wine in this region, probably don't, moonshine at best, and I may be able to choke down there rotisseried rat and fried bugs but I will never force my self to drink that diluted poison," he scowled at her and she laughed.

"It's only for a few days, Nikola, I promise I will be up there as soon as I can to help with the negotiations, this treaty alliance is a very big thing, you would not believe the amount of people who do not want this alliance to be made," Helen looked down at some data about a group of rebels in the area, the alliance was being made to defend themselves from this radical group. They were ex-military and extremely offensive.

"Yes well I wish they would hurry it up, I have never been privy to such picky people, and this is coming from me, they can't agree on anything, what do they have to trade with? Berries and fish!" groaned Nikola.

"Nikola, be nice," she warned.

"And what is so important that you can't come now!" he whined.

"We have a containment situation down here that needs to be dealt with before I make my way over there, I hope to be on the next flight in two days," Helen looked away again.

"What kind of containment situation?" asked Nikola suspiciously.

"One of the abnormals got out of their habitat and is causing a minor bout of trouble, but we're handling it," she said cryptically.

"Which abnormal?" he scrutinized her even further.

"The…the, uh, Nubbins," she said trying to hide a small bit of color from hitting her cheeks.

"That's why you sent me away, the little horndogs got out and you're afraid their squirt their pheromones at you and that you'll lose control, because I'm there and you already have a heightened animal attraction to me to start with," he said nonchalantly

"That is completely ridiculous, you were going on this mission with or without the Nubbins," she glared at him and he laughed and clapped his hands like a dork.

"Don't deny it Helen, you miss me," he teased.

"No, I really don't," she shook her head and he giggled even more.

"Hey bring some wine with you when you come down, if I have to spent the next three days drinking distilled pee water, those rebels will be the least of their worries," said Nikola.

"Nikola, drinking is completely offensive to their kind, you wouldn't eat a steak in front of a hindu, would you?" she gave him a stern look.

"Bring it in a cantina and call it medicine!" he defended.

Helen sighed at his stubbornness.

"Is Mon-Bukuu there?" she sighed, changing the subject.

"Getting rid of me so soon?" he teased.

"He was the one I originally came on to talk to, get off!" she ordered and he sighed.

"I'll go get him, he's enjoying his breakfast of crushed worms and berries by the fire…oh bring some real food, chocolate, a power bar, anything that doesn't have the main ingredient of meal worms!" he pleaded.

"I'll see about bringing you some decent provision, now go get Mon-Bukuu!" she ordered and he ran off the screen.

She put her hand to her temple as she waited, Nikola was incorrigible, but he was right, she did miss him being around the Sanctuary…of course that could be the Nubbins talking.

"Ello! Mon-Magnus!" she snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the kind face of Mon-Bukuu the tribal leader of the Na-hali'e Clan, he was a sweet old African-looking man, very soft spoken, and had excellent English, he had originally contacted her for her assistance in the matter of the alliance, as the two clans needed a middle man during negotiations, though she had met him years ago when she had first helped the tribe of Abnormals from the first wave of attacks from the rebels.

"Hello Mon-bukuu, how are the negotiations?" she said with a smile.

"Good, good, you going to come down soon, little Lle misses you very much," he said back.

"Does he really?" she said knowingly.

"A little, is mostly Mon-Tesla, as you say in your language, he is a pain!" Helen laughed.

"I'm sorry Mon-Bukuu, I'm afraid I'm short on staff, but I will be up there in a few suns to help tame the beast, just bare with me for a little while," she sighed and he nodded.

"The children seem to love him, they love to take metal objects and stick them to him," he laughed.

"Yes, but if the rebels come he will be able to bring a modicum of protection, it's why I sent him, just forgive me for his personality," smiled Helen.

"Yes, well, at least he is professional," shrugged Mon-Bukuu.

"Thank you Mon-Bukuu, I'll see you in a few days," he nods and leaves the tent.

Nikola came back into view.

"You two done gossiping about me?" he joked.

"Hardly," she chuckled.

"Now as I was saying-" Nikola started and Helen sighed.

"I really have to go now Nikola, I will contact you in 5 hours for an update, hopefully we will have this Nubbin situation handled by then," she smiled at him.

"Oh fine, but remember – wine, food, and a return plane ticket," he said holding up three fingers, Helen laughed.

"Of course, I'll make a list," she smiled.

"Eh! Mon-Tesla, the recess is over! We go back into negotiations now!" came Mon-Bukuu's voice off-screen.

"I'll be along in a moment," he waved off to Mon-Bukuu, flashing a false smile as he did before looking back at Helen. "Get me out of here!"

Helen laughs and waves goodbye before shutting off the call.

"Who was that?" said Will as he came in behind her, fire extinguisher in hand.

"Just Tesla, he's really enjoying his assignment in Northeast Africa," she joked and he laughed.

"I bet he is, was he crying?" teased Will back.

"Not yet, but he's getting there," she laughed back.

"Well, we got most of the Nubbins flash frozen, but Henry estimates they're probably a lot more, they really went out of hand this time," Will sighed putting down the fire extinguisher on to the couch for a moment.

"Next time we'll just have to be more careful, in the meantime, Nikola can last a few days without me, where's my extinguisher," Helen stood up.

"Kate has it, she and Big Guy are waiting for us in the upper levels, Henry has the lower levels locked down and he's working on the air conditioning, hoping to give it an extra boost, if he's successful it's going to get mighty cold in here," sighed Will following her out of the office.

"Lovely, I'll get the tea," Helen walked quickly, her mind still wandering to her old friend…"He'll be fine," she muttered to herself silently.

_**~~~~Present~~~~**_

Nikola coughed up something; he couldn't tell if it was vomit or blood, it could go either way at this point.

He'd coughed up enough of it, he felt like he had been dry heaving for an hour.

He couldn't remember the last thing he ate.

He laid back down on the ground and shuddered.

Everything hurt now, not just his legs.

His chest hurt from breathing too hard, his gut hurt from heaving, his brain hurt from all the thumping his heart was making, his heart hurt from all the thumping it was making, his throat hurt from the screaming, and his eyes, god his eyes…

He'd ceased feeling anything, if it hurt it was a dull ache at the back of his mind, if he was bleeding he couldn't tell, if he was dying he wouldn't know when, he felt like had already died and his hell was a vast expanse of darkness, lost and alone.

His mind was filled with questions; when would he be rescued? Would he want to be rescued? Is there any one left to rescue him? Where's Helen? Why isn't she here? She said she would be, but she's not, she's not here, no one's here, no one except me, I'm alone, I'm going to die alone, I'm going to die alone and Helen won't ever kn0w, know what? What does she know? Where is she? If she was here I would know, cause I wouldn't be here I would be with her, but where is she? What if she never comes? Where's she coming too? What is this place? Why am I here? Why is she not with me? Will I ever see her again? Will I recognize her? What if she doesn't recognize me? What if she leaves me here, leaves me here to die like the rest of them, rest of who? Who are they? Why were they killed? Why was I left alive?

Why was I left alive?

He shivered again, almost violently.

"Helen!" he cried out. "Where are you?"

He knew there would be no answer, but any sound was better than the sound of silence.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Counting Seconds

_**~~~~Old City Sanctuary, 10 hours earlier~~~~**_

"What's happened?" Magnus barged into Henry's lab.

"The whole area was hit with some kind of burst, the satellite images show a high concentration of beta radiation in the area around 6:30 our time, three hours after our last contact," said Henry bringing up the images.

"That's bad, the Na-hali'e are very sensitive to that certain type of radiation, it's toxic to them," said Helen as she read the data.

"Yah but the Ban'all aren't this type of radiation would've made them sick at worse," said Henry, shaking his head.

"It would've weakened them though, enough to make a significant attack on them," she said scanning through more data.

"So what? Are you thinking the rebels did this?" said Henry.

"The rebels are a group of abnormal hating ex-military radical spreading their reign of terror across the area, we expected them to make some kind of attack on this alliance, I mean the last thing they want is to powerful abnormal clans joining forces, but not anything like this," Helen looked at Henry, an small shroud of fear crossing her eyes. "This was an all out slaughter."

"And Tesla?" said Henry.

"I don't know," she said looking back at the data.

"We're getting satellite footage of the area," Henry enlargened the feed, not hearing Kate, Big Guy, and Will enter the room.

"Oh god," said Helen.

The footage should the whole camp decimated, tents burnt down to the ground, bodies everywhere, and no sign of survivors.

"My god," said Kate, causing Henry to look back and see them.

"That's not good," said Will.

"This was genocide," said Helen sadly. "Mass murder."

"Are there any survivors?" asked Kate.

"It doesn't look like it," said Will.

"Helen, I'm so sorry," Kate looked at Helen.

"I want a plane ready in an hour, I'm going to call my contact at the embassy, I'm not calling it until everyone of those clans is accounted for," she turned and walked out.

"It would be easier with Druitt," said Will following her.

"How long would we have to wait for him to answer my call, no, this can't wait for John, get my plane ready," she said walking to her office quickly.

"Private charter?" asked Will, he knew the answer already but had to ask anyway.

"Yes, I want spare med supplies to be packed and stored in the cargo hold, and I'll have my contact set us up in some jeeps, I want to get there as fast as I can," Will stopped following her, knowing there was a line he shouldn't cross at the moment and turned away to meet her demands.

Helen got to her office and shut the door, the moment it clicked she felt her legs buckle and she fell against it. She quickly composed herself taking in a deep breath and walking to her desk. Now was no time to be emotional, she needed to be strong, even though she felt like a heavy weight had been attached to her heart.

_**~~~~Yesterday~~~~**_

Helen walked into Tesla's lab, or, at least the lab Tesla designated as his.

"Don't you ever sleep?" she teased and he looked up from whatever he was working on.

"Only during board meetings," he said going back to his project.

"Not this time," she laughed slightly and walked up behind him, watching him work from over his shoulder. "I have a mission for you."

He smirked, she knew he was smirking, he would.

"Does the mission entail spelunking 20,000 leagues under your skirt," he reached behind him and wrapped his hand teasing around her thigh.

She slapped his hand.

"Nikola!" she scolded and he laughed.

"Worth a shot," he spun around to face her, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"You are incorrigible," she glared at him and he fluttered his eyelids at her.

"Oh but you like it," he grabbed on to her sides and pulled her against him, his big grin now mere inches from her.

"Will you be serious?" she batted him away.

"I am always serious when it comes to you," he grinned and she glared even more at him.

"I have a job for you, an urgent one, please pay attention," she said sternly putting her hands on her hips.

"Ok, you start on that, and I'll start on your neck," before she could protest his lips were on her throat and the crook of her neck, nuzzling and kissing, making out more ticklish and playful than passionate or arousing.

"Oh will you stop!" she pulled him off and he let out a half chuckle.

"I'm sending you to Africa, pack a bag," she said straight out.

"Oh very funny, ok, I'll stop, now what is my mission?" he said crossing his arms.

"I just told you, I'm sending you to Africa," she said looking him squarely in the face.

"Ok, now seriously," he looked at her slightly confused.

"I am serious, I need you to go down to Africa, two abnormal tribes are negotiating an alliance and they have asked my help in the matter, I unfortunatetly can't join them just now, so I'm sending you, have fun," she turned to leave but he stopped her.

"Wait, why can't the hairy one go?" he whined, "Or Tiny Tim, or the protégé, or Kate!"

Helen sighed.

"Will and Henry are helping out Declan in London and won't be back for a few hours, Kate and Big Guy are cataloguing the inventory, I have a board meeting with all the heads of house tomorrow morning so won't be able to join you till tomorrow afternoon, you are a member of this team too now," she said.

"But, it's Africa, there's nothing sanitary there!" he whined.

"Yes, but there could be a lightning storm, there it would be up close, you like lightning storms," she teased.

"I guess," he scrunched up his face in a whine and she chuckled, pecking his cheek.

"Do it for me," she said cutely.

He lets out a long sigh.

"If only you would give me that face to get me to sleep with you," he ran a hand over his face.

"Please, it wouldn't take that much effort," Helen laughed as he scowled.

"You minx," he whined, "Well I don't do it unless I get something in return."

"I'm not going to have sex with you, I will drug you and ship you there freight before I do that," she glared at him.

"No, that can come later, I just want a kiss, one kiss, that's all I ask, it will get me through the long, lonely nights," he smirked cheekily and Helen sighed.

"No tongue," she said pulling his head slowly down to hers in a soft kiss. "There, satisfied now."

"Well, I meant a peck on the cheek, but that was great!" he joked and she glared at him again.

"Go pack, you leave in an hour," she pushed him to the door.

"Don't deny it, you're going to miss me when I'm gone!" he pointed a finger at her and she rolled her eyes.

"I doubt it!" she pointed back as he disappeared around the corner with a chuckle. "Cheeky bastard."

She smiled to herself and walked back down the hall.

_**~~~~Present~~~~**_

_Hello darkness, my old friend_

_I've come to talk to you again…_

Nikola groaned.

What a way to die!

This was what the great Nikola Tesla would come to, a pathetic blind heap rotting amongst the dead! No fireworks! No parade! Just vomit and blood! Not even a kind word to soothe him as he passed on.

He inhaled again, counting the seconds; he had been here for more than 5 hours, that he could tell, not like he stayed conscious enough to know for sure, he could've been there for days. There was no time in blackness, but he had felt the stung of he cold night and the warmth of the sun, so he assumed at least a day has gone by.

So much of his life was wasted counting seconds.

The week trapped underground in Columbia he counted every passing minute till Helen rescued him while simultaneously sending out his S-O-S message. There was no way he could do that again, he neither had the strength, concentration, or the power to do it, he'd send out the message for a minute or so, throw up again, then pass out. Nor was there any parabolic focus points, or lodestone concentrations, or a Cabal lab anywhere in the vicinity.

He remembered when he went underground, he counted the days until he would see Helen again, it all amounted up to 60 years, but he needed a hobby.

Counting time, was that his hobby?

He never realized how fast time slips away until he lost his immortality, then it hit him all too hard.

Now he was counting again, counting down the minutes and hours and seconds until he was dead.

Dead and unaccomplished, unnoticed, and unloved; why did he even bother counting, no one was going to read it and be amazed.

A miserable end to a miserable life.

He half chuckled to himself.

Misery loves company this must be a tragedy!

It wasn't all misery though, just the last century or so, maybe even the last decade, he lost his credibility as a scientist, he lost his friends, he lost is life…technically, he lost his watch sometime in the 60's, he lost his pigeons, he lost his race, he lost his mind (surely more than once), he lost his home, he lost his papers, his life's work, lost his patents, lost his vampirism, lost more than a couple handkerchiefs, lost his plans to bring back his lost race, lost even more friends, lost his way, lost his head, lost his marbles, lost his slippers, and now he lost his eyesight!

What does he have left to lose?

Helen…

He'd lose her…not like he ever had her, but a day without her was like losing a part of her. He wasn't concerned about it when he was mortal, because if he missed a day then there was next century to make up for it. But now that his days were numbered he wasn't going to wait for the next century.

He missed 60 years, now he was going to miss it all, dying in lord knows where Africa, not even a small moment to say goodbye.

Goodbye.

Nikola reached his hand to his breast pocket for his notebook, he always carried it around incase he had a brilliant idea.

It was still intact as far as he could tell.

It wasn't going to be the best letter he had ever written, but it would leave him closure, closure was good, right?

At least if Helen found him, she'd know how he felt his last remaining hours.

He wanted her to know that his last thoughts were about her, and how much he had missed with her, and how much time he'd lost.

_And the vision that was planted in my brain_

_Still remains_

_Within the sound of silence_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Pick Up

_**~~~~5 hours earlier, Above The Atlantic~~~~**_

Helen looked out the window, but her mind was not on the mass of clouds in front of her face.

She tapped her fingers nervously on the armrest. It was moments like this that she actually wished she had John on hand to cut these grueling plane trips short. Big Guy was manning the home front, Henry and Kate were checking over their cargo, and Will was sleeping soundly in his sight across from her.

She was completely left to her thoughts and they were driving her crazy.

She couldn't help but think that Nikola was dead, or dying, or being held captive, her thoughts switched from the realistic to the ridiculous, to the obscene.

She had to know he was alright or not, that's why she had insisted they get down there as fast as they could.

They would arrive in Kenya in 3 hours via a connected flight, from Kenya they would be driving for another 2 and a half hours till they arrived in the region where the summit was being held. There was just too many hours in this situation, she wanted to be there now. The anticipation was killing her.

Almost 20 hours ago when she had discovered that something had gone wrong at the summit, another 10 before she could do anything about it, another 10 to reach the area, if Nikola was there all by himself, hurt or struggling to survive the next hour, whose to say he wouldn't die just moments before she got there.

Her nail tapping increased.

"Magnus, you sound like you're trying to drum a signal to him, relax," said Will who had been woken up from the noise.

"Sorry, I was just…just thinking," she said moving her hand to her lap.

"About Tesla?" he asked.

She nodded.

"I sent him there, I could've sent him to his death, I just can't help but feel he's somewhere bleeding to death, I was supposed to be there, he could be all alone, I should've been there," she said biting her nail.

"That wouldn't solve anything, then it would be the two of you either dead or dying," said Will.

"At least then he wouldn't be alone," she looked away from the window.

"Tesla is resourceful, if he's alive he won't be helpless, I don't say much about the man but he definitely isn't helpless, hopeless maybe, but not helpless," said Will semi-comfortingly.

"I just…I should've been there," muttered Helen.

_**~~~~2o hours ago~~~~**_

Helen sat down at her desk taking a deep breath and exhaling it.

One Nubbin situation handled, now regular business could go on, starting with a certain Serb in Africa.

"Whew that was a rodeo, we should almost have a separate generator for the habitat in case another power surge happens, I definitely don't want to round those little buggers up again. Firstly, I think I inhaled way too much extinguisher fumes, long story short, I don't think I'll be able to scuba dive any time soon. Secondly, those things bite! My hands look like swiss cheese. They don't make you mega-horny when they bite you do you, because if so then I should lock myself in my room," said Will as he barged in and lounged on to the couch. "So what are you up to?"

Helen laughed at her colleague.

"I was just about to contact Tesla in Africa, care to join me?" she asked with a smile.

"I don't think magnet boy wants to see me," said Will knowingly.

"Nonsense, I think at this point he will be happy to see anybody," she laughed slightly as she opened the skype application.

"I'll say hi, tell him not to get too frisky with the local ladies," smirked Will as he stood up and walked over.

"Now seriously Will, those women aren't his type, he can barely touch normal people who use hand sanitizer, those people think sanitizing is rubbing bug paste over your skin to stave off heat stroke, he's not going to even shake hands with them, let alone, well, you know," Helen looked at the screen as she called up the computer Nikola was using.

"True, I mean for such the flirt he really doesn't like human contact," said Will leaning on the desk beside Helen.

"He doesn't like dirt, it's a real condition, you should know, you're the psychiatrist," teased Helen.

"He says he doesn't like dirt but I can recount several occasions where he's been dirty and he didn't even bat an eyelash," Will made a funny face when he replayed that sentence over in his mind. "I mean, nevermind."

Helen chuckled.

"I wasn't going to say anything," she smiled as the skype started ringing.

"How late is it over there?" asked Will.

"I don't know, but Nikola will be up, he's not one for camping," Helen smirked.

"Remind me never to get you mad," joked Will.

They waited along time before a connection was made but no footage or sound came up.

"Nikola! Nikola, you there?" said Helen.

There was no response.

"Want me to get Henry to get a hack?" asked Will.

"Yes, I'm not getting anything," she looked at the blank screen.

"Maybe he finally got over his fear of camping?" joked Will as he texted Henry to come to the office.

"Unlikely, Nikola is a creature of habit, he wouldn't change his ways unless he absolutely wanted to," she sighed.

"True," said Will as Henry walked in.

"Hey, what's up?" said Henry, coming to stand in front of the desk.

"Ah, Henry, there's something wrong on Nikola's end of the skype, so," stared Helen, standing up from her chair, letting Henry sneak in.

"Want me to hack the built-in camera?" said Henry knowingly, not even stopping for confirmation.

"Exactly," smiled Helen.

"Just give me a moment," he started typing furiously at the keyboard. "Okay we should be getting a visual any moment now," he said angling the computer screen towards Helen.

"Nikola! It's me Helen! You there?" she said her eyes searching the screen as the image came up, it was dark and the computer was angled poorly...like it had fallen on to the ground, which could very well be a possibility. "Henry is there anyway to improve this image, I can't see a thing."

"I'll see what I can do," he turned back to the keyboard.

"Nikola!" Helen called again.

Henry activated a light on the computer and the image that it shone on was terrifying.

To the left of the screen was a hand, bloody and lifeless, to the right was reckage, and ahead were row upon row of dead and mutilated bodies lying across the expanse of the field.

"Oh my god," muttered Helen.

"Dude," muttered Henry.

"That's not good," said Will.

"Nikola! Where are you?" Helen cried, a hint of desperation in her voice.

Again all she received in response was silence.

"What happened, Doc?" asked Henry.

"I don't know, I want satellite imagery, I want reports, we must find out what happened, and as quickly as possible!" ordered Helen, she moved past Will and rushed out of the office pulling out her cellphone.

She dialed the phone she had given to Nikola and she held it up to her ear.

It rang for what seemed like hours until the voicemail came up.

"Nikola! If you're there, if you can hear this, pick up! This isn't funny I need you to pick up! Nikola, please! Don't play any games with me, I know you're there, just pick up! I need you to pick up! I need to hear your voice, I need to know you're ok!" Helen felt her throat hitch and her eyes felt wet and hot as she only heard silence. "Please, Nikola, just one word, anything, just say something, just say something."

A sob escaped her.

"Please," she choked out, leaning against the wall as her tears flowed more freely. "What went wrong Nikola? Why aren't you picking up? Why is all that I get from you SILENCE!"

She choked out another small sob.

"I'm sorry Nikola…I'm so sorry."

A beep stopped her from saying anything more and she let the phone slip from her hand as she fought to contain herself.

She managed to get control over her emotions, the last thing Nikola needed was for her to sob her eyes out, he needed her to rescue him, he needed her to find him, and that's exactly what she was going to do.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Heaven's Sirens, Hell's Angels

_Nikola! If you're there, if you can hear this, pick up! _

Nikola heard something like the whispering of an angel into his ears, it was soft, incoherent, tickling the sides of his face like one would nuzzle a lover after making love.

He could imagine a soft, beautiful hand reaching from nowhere and smoothing down his hair as soft lips came in contact with his own, kissing the pain away in a hot searing moment.

The voice continued whispering sweet nothings into his ear and the lips trailed lower, pressing softly to the skin of his neck and another hand, coming from the same nowhere, fluttered to his chest.

His chest arched slowly, pressing into the palm of that hand, precise articulation so that her hand felt every contour of his chest in full detail.

So this is what heaven feels like.

If there was a heaven, to be frank he never really thought about it, which was odd for the son of a minister.

Well not exactly true, there was once, when he was young, sickly and pale, bedridden he thought forever, he may have considered, "Is this it? Am I to meet this Lord my father speaks so highly of?"

But whether heaven was a mass of clouds, or eternity locked in some pleasant fantasy he couldn't have cared less about it when he was a vampire, then the possibility of death seemed so far away, so distant.

Even when he had been de-vamped and death entered the game again, he hadn't considered heaven, he just though of all he needed accomplished before his number came up. It seemed he had a lot less time than he had planned for.

His mind went back to the voice. It had changed somehow; it was lower, deeper.

The hands snaked under his shirt, slithering along the sensitive flesh, coming back to the heart and lying flat against it.

_Please, Nikola, just one word, anything, just say something, just say something."_

He yearned to know what the voice was trying to tell him, but the hands distracted him from comprehending anything the voice said.

Lips descended lower, Nikola wished to see the face they belonged to, the beautiful blue eyes, the dark curls, the milky white skin of his temptress weaved around his lithe body, rocking like a sloop in a storm.

He wanted to smell her hair, hear her siren's call, feel her wrapped around his heart like a coil around a metal rod, conducting his life's electricity, the most natural power of the world.

He wanted to reach up and feel her soft arms and legs and the spaces in between, but like all sirens of the sea, he was under her spell, this was her game, her lustful plunge into his heart; her hands, her lips, her voice, her song.

_Why is all that I get from you SILENCE!_

The voice made a scream, at him, grabbing his hair from behind and pulling it, jerking his head back and exposing his bare neck. Her soft lips grew hungry and ravaged the neck as if she were a drug addict and someone had dusted his neck with cocaine powder.

She was on him, straddling him, pinning him down and leaving him helpless to her ministrations, but she softened again, taking his arm and wrapping it around her waist, letting him press his face to her bosom and stay there, nestled and comforted.

This was how sirens worked. Lured you into their trap with their song then kept you there, in a tight, bosom-filled embrace. He reveled in it. Kissing her chest lightly, not wanting the feeling of nothingness to take him over, wanting to feel her.

She remained on his lap, poised higher than him, in command.

She moved one gorgeously bare leg, outstretched it the lifted off of him, to tower in front of him, dragging him to his knees.

Her hand guided him to where she wanted him, like a dog he obeyed, kissing up the gorgeous length of her legs to her thighs, to her warmth. The eye of the storm.

She held him there, running her hands through his hair, coaxing him further.

But he stopped.

Pulling away from between her legs, looking up to her blue orbs, which had turned blood red.

This wasn't heaven this was hell, masking itself as a beautiful place, a place of comfort and warmth, of feeling. There was no feeling here, just numb torture.

This wasn't his angel this was his demon.

"_I'm sorry Nikola…I'm so sorry."_

He turned around hearing the voice.

"Helen?" he looked at the beautiful woman. "Where are you?"

"I'm sorry Nikola…I'm so sorry."

She repeated stepping closer to him, her hands wrapping around his neck like a summer wind wraps around the trees.

Her hands fell to his chest.

"I'm…I'm so scared," he looked into her blue eyes.

She smiled at him and crept up on her tippy toes, pressing her lips gently to his, this kiss warming him instantly.

"Your alive," was all she said before plunging into darkness.

He reached for her hand.

"NO!" he cried finding himself plunged into darkness.

He blinked but nothing happened.

"Helen!" he cried and heard no response.

All he saw was black.

Everywhere.

_**~~~~Airport Outside of Tombouctou, Mali, 18 hours later~~~~**_

Helen thanked some men at the airport before getting into the passenger seat of the jeep.

"Edwardo says he'll hold the plane until we get back, but we have 8 hours before the Tombouctou authorities discover our unauthorized landing, so we should get a move on," looked at Will in the drivers seat.

"Gotcha, Henry's got directions," Will said pointing at Henry.

"Uh, you bet, ready when you are, Doc," said Henry, Kate nodded in agreement, gun poised in her lap.

Helen nodded and Will started up the jeep.

_**~~~~Present~~~~**_

Nikola vomited again.

He was going to go with blood now, no way could he have anything left in his stomach after the several other times he had thrown up.

He felt sick, and weak, and disgusting.

Usually his mysophobia would be freaking out at this point, but he really couldn't tell if he was actually dirty or just making himself think that. The no-sight thing made it easier to just pass out.

Nikola let his over-working mind wander.

Maybe he was dreaming, it's entirely possible.

It was vivid, for a moment his mind flashed with color, and beauty. Sight.

"Nikola."

A voice came from behind him, soft as wind.

"Helen."

He knew without even looking.

"I've been waiting for you."

He turns around to see her, lounging on a bed, a mediterranean night sky hovering above her. She was wearing a white, almost see-through silk nightie that came down about mid thigh, just over her buttocks. Her beautiful manicured nails held in them a red rose that she picked the petals off of, slowly, tossing them lightly around her.

Nikola's breathe hitched in his throat and his heart skipped a beat.

"Have you?" he managed to say, not sure whether to approach her, though he desperately wanted to. He wanted to kiss that gorgeous long neck, settle in between those milky thighs, kiss those plump red lips, but he was frozen. His eyes devouring her sight before they forgot what she looked like.

"I have, you've kept me waiting, I'm still waiting."

She smiled suggestively and he gulped slightly audibly.

"How indecent of me?"

She laughed again.

"Even more so by you're lingering."

She stood up and walked, seductive and slow towards him.

"Forgive me," he managed to choke out.

She leaned over to him and drawled into his ear.

"I think that's manageable."

Her hand went to his chest and undid the crisp clean oxford shirt on his body. Her lips curled into a devious and sexy smile as her hands slipped over his bare chest.

He inhaled sharply at the coolness of her hands over his stomach.

His pulse raced as she guided him slowly to the bed, pushing him on to it.

His back felt against the mattress and he was pinned under her as she kissed him, a kiss that had his heart beating and thumping louder than he had ever thought it could, and he was sure she could hear it.

She pushed the shirt off his shoulders and kissed his chest, leaving him semi-breathless in her wake.

He smelt incense and the rose petals, and her hair; it smelt like vanilla and lavender, her lips tasted sweet and fruity, her tongue like fine wine, her skin felt like soft butter, and her kisses like fire.

She curled her leg around his and spun them over so she was under him, her fingers firmly hooked on his belt.

He kissed her desperately, trying to make it last, it had to last; this moment, this dream couldn't leave him.

He ripped the nightgown open, completely exposing her to him. She was more beautiful than anything; she should be considered the 9th wonder of the world, more majestic than the Pyramids, or any goddesses of mythology or Baywatch reruns.

She removed his last barriers and kissed him fiercely, encouraging him to proceed with this dance, a tango they've been dancing for over a century yet never seemed to finish.

It felt real.

He had many fantasies but none so real, none so vibrant, none so desperate.

He called her name, strained and sharp.

She just smiled widely and lolled her head from side to side, teasing him to bite, urging him.

But he knew he couldn't, he had lost the ability to bite, to taste blood.

Blood.

Vicious red, sticky, blood.

It slipped and oozed and never left, never washed away.

Helen went dead in his arms.

Cold and frozen, like the very thought had killed her outright.

Nikola stopped and looked down at her. Trying to shake her awake, she didn't move.

He looked at his hands.

Covered.

Red, sticky, sliming and slithering all over, no surface to wipe them, nothing to clean them; blood.

He looked back down and saw Helen, blood pouring from every orifice, mouth, eyes, ears, nose. It came over her face, down her neck, over her stomach, along her thigh, pooling underneath her.

Nikola backed away, gagging, coughing, trying to stop a terrified scream from escaping him.

He was covered in blood. Her blood.

He tried desperately to wipe it off his hands but it wouldn't smear off, it wouldn't leave, it stained his fingers and palms.

He fell to the floor in a silent horrified sob.

He crawled, desperate to get away from the image, the sight of his beloved Helen, to get away from her blood.

He ran into a dead end, he couldn't go forward and he couldn't go back.

He was trapped, cold, naked, terrified.

He let out a silent scream.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 –

_**~~~~Present~~~~**_

The jeep stopped at the sight of the destroyed summit.

Helen nearly jumped out of the jeep before Will could pull it into a complete stop.

From the far border of the camp she could see the complete and utter destruction faced by the camp. Nearly over 300 bodies lay strewn about, all dead, bloody, and shriveled.

"Look for any survivors!" she ordered, hopping out of the jeep. "Nikola!"

She ran into the mass grave, you could call it.

Women, children, men and elders alike were amongst the slaughtered on the bloody plain.

The ground was muddy from the blood, probably seeped far into the soil, Helen kept herself strong as she walked and scanned the dead faces.

"Magnus, I don't think you're going to find anything, this place is a slaughter house, no women, no children, heck I think they killed the goats as well, if anyone survived the attacks they died from the injuries!" exclaimed Will, following Helen.

Helen didn't want to hear that right now, she wanted proof, if she had to search every body on this field she would.

Helen bent down and examined a body.

"Oh, Mon-Bukuu," Helen sighed sadly, looking at the dead face of her friend.

"What happened to him?" asked Will.

"Mon-Bukuu wouldn't have gone without a fight, they probably executed him," Helen looked away.

"And Tesla?" asked Will.

"We won't know until we either find a body or find him," growled Helen.

"Magnus!" came Kate's voice and Helen ran fast to find the voice.

"What is it?" said Helen, slightly out of breath.

Kate opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find words, she just pointed.

Helen's eyes followed her finger to a body, face marred and dirt covered, lying in the blood-seeped mud.

Helen's heart nearly tried to leap out of her throat as she stared at the body, her eyes threatening to burst into tears.

She kneeled down beside him and cupped his face, searching for a pulse.

"Nikola, Nikola!"

His eyes opened suddenly and Helen jumped.

"Nikola?" Helen took his hand and held it tightly.

"H-Helen?" he gasped, unsure if he was actually speaking.

"It's ok, I'm here now, it's me," Helen let a small smile crest her lips.

"W-where are you?" his eyes looked about rapidly.

"I'm right here, I'm right in front of you," the smile quickly faded.

"I can't see you!" He lifted his hand to her face and felt it.

"My god Nikola, what happened?" she gasped, letting his hand cup her face. His eyes swelled and teared before her.

"I can't see you, god why can't I see you, I can't see anyone, oh Helen don't leave me here!" he sobbed, grabbing on to her tightly and clutching, as if he would fall if he let go.

"I wouldn't leave you here, my god man," she was surprised by his sudden action, and the fear. Nikola had faced death many times but had beared through it all with a grin and a twinkle in his eye.

Never like this, never so frightened.

"Come on Nikola, lets get you home," she kissed the side of his head, trying to soothe him.

"I'm so scared Helen, please don't let me go!" Helen hugged him tightly. It didn't sound like Nikola at all, it sounded like a frightened 5 year-old crawling into his parents bed after seeing a scary movie.

"I won't, can you stand up?" asked Helen gently.

"Uh, I don't know…" he mumbled.

Helen helped him to his feet, keeping her hands on him as she did.

He stumbled slightly but got his footing enough for them to get him to the jeep.

Henry helped her get him into the back and took over the wheel as Will jumped in the back to help fix up the wounds in his legs and arm.

Helen kept him hugged to her, his physical exhaustion letting him fall asleep in her arms.

"What's wrong with him, Helen?" asked Will after a while.

"I think he's blind, Will, how, I don't know," she ruffled his messy hair and kissed the top of his forehead.

Will looked worriedly at Helen then at Nikola's sleeping face.

_**~~~~New York 1943~~~~**_

_Nikola stared out the stained window of his hotel room in the New Yorker._

_It was 11:30 pm January 6, 1943._

_The eve of his 'death' as one would call it._

_At midnight he would leave this life, become an enigma, an entity, a memory._

_He would be a shadow, a marred piece of history._

_The world would remember him as an old 86 year-old lunatic that died from heart failure. What a way to go._

_He looked out at the heavy sheet of rain pouring outside with disdain. He cursed himself for putting him in this situation, he should've known, the world is a pool of idiots who could never understand his ideas as he saw them. _

_Nikola looked down at the small pill sitting in the palm of his hand. _

_Life and death all brought down to a little blue bill…there's a movie plot out of this._

_He scoffed._

_This was Helen's idea, of course, it was straight out of Romeo and Juliet, he was convinced._

_Magical drugs to make him fall asleep so everyone could believe that he's dead, and he will wake in the care of his love's arms and they will run away together into the sunset where they will live forever, own a cottage by the sea and make babies._

_He scoffed again._

_It didn't work out for Romeo and Juliet, why should it work out for him?_

_He let out a deep sigh. This was harder than he thought it would be, who knew a fake death could be so terrifying._

_Maybe it wasn't so much his own physical death that he feared, maybe it was the fact that he would die, a useless old bum, never succeeding anything he dreamed. Nikola would die a joke, just like his race did. They will write songs, tell stories, make radio broadcasts about the "Ol' Senile Nikola Tesla, the crazy man with the birds."_

_He dreamt dying a far greater man, he dreamt of never dying at all._

_Nikola closed his eyes and choked down the pill in a single, pained gulp._

_It went down long and slow, he thought it might stick to the walls of his esophagus and just remain there. _

_He looked around the room once more, making sure everything was in place. He had sent a package earlier to Helen, his personal affects he wanted sent to him after his funeral, the rest of his affect, paper clippings, drawings, blueprints, notes, and certain trinkets he all left to his beloved Helen who would receive them after they had been entrusted to his family…well, as the authorities will see it._

_He lifted a picture from the windowsill, part of his experiments with photography back all those years ago._

_He had created his own apparatus, developed his own film, and hadn't shared his findings with the rest of the world._

_Most of them were lost or packed away with the rest of his assets but this one he enjoyed more than anything, and he wanted it on this particular endeavor._

_He had hidden his camera apparatus and lured the beautiful Helen Manus into it's frame, she would've certainly not have agreed to pose for a photo, especially since she was already halfway promised to John Druitt. A moment trapped in time, a moment he could look back and pretend they were secret lovers forced to forever be apart. It felt better than the truth. He's kept it on his person ever since it was taken, securely tucked inside his breast pocket net to his handkerchief._

_He saw it as hope, a promise that it might one day come true._

_He tucked it back into his pocket before double-checking the room a second time._

_He was dressed in his finest suit, fake hair and make up perfectly utilized to make him appear his proper age, the age he'd forever be known to have died at. A meager 86 with no fame or fortune or Nobel Prize to his name, he could almost hear his father peering down from heaven, that disappointed scowl on his face. "You should've followed the Lord, my son, you could've made a great priest, but nooo you wanted to go and electrocute yourself, well pffft to you!"_

"_Milly don't be so hard on him, he has accomplished more than we dreamed!"_

"_Djourka, you stay out of this, this is between me and the boy!"_

"_I am not a child anymore!"_

"_Besides it was you! You filled his head with all this silly inventing stuff! He was supposed to be a minister, carry on the family profession, and he would have if you hadn't filled his head with such nonsense!"_

"_He never wanted to be a man of the church, why can't you just accept that?"_

"_Can you stop talking about me like I'm not in the room?"_

"_What has he become Djourka? A recluse! A recluse without friends, without money and without God!"_

"_If you hadn't forced him to memorize the Bible and sing hymns every day he might've gone outside and played with the children! You were so adamant about him being protected from the sinful and unrighteous, he could've led a semi-normal life if you had just let him!"_

"_Don't go blaming this on me! God gave me his future, and I tried to change it for the better!"_

"_And in doing so you ruined the life of our son!"_

"_ENOUGH!"_

_Nikola's mind awakened back in the present, he was yelling at no one. That happened a lot._

_He looked around the room a third time before lying on the floor and looking up at the ceiling._

_Everything was in place, the game was set, now all that was left to do was to die._

_He felt a small twinge in his chest and it became slightly harder to breathe, his heart sounded like it had migrated to his eardrum and the sound nearly canceled out every other sound in the room._

_He closed his eyes but felt a hand creep to his face, cupping his cheeks, soft and warm._

_He re-opened his eyes a crack._

"_H-Helen?"_

_She was kneeling beside him, wearing a white flowy gown, it looked stunning on her, her hair was perfectly blonde and curled, her face only a few inches away, her could see his reflection in her dazzling blue eyes._

"_You're early," he gasped out quietly._

"_Shhh," she whispered softly._

_She leant down and kissed him gently, effectively knocking the breath from his lungs, pulling back after a moment._

_He felt her hands crawl down to his chest, pressing gently on the muscles of his torso._

"_Is this a dream?" he gasped out again._

_She leant down to his ear kissing the soft part of his neck below it before kissing the side of his ear deftly._

"_Of course it is."_

_In a blink she was gone again, leaving him just as breathless as before. His heart slowly stopped beating and he felt his body shiver, and he looked up at the dark ceiling._

_Alone. All alone._

_Nothing but silence to keep him company._

_**~~~~Present~~~~**_

Helen checked Nikola's vitals once more as he lay in the medical bed in the Old City Sanctuary infirmary.

"How is he, Doc?" said Will as he came in.

"He'll live, we've determined his blindness is temporary, caused by exposure to the radiation, with some TLC and rest he should be back to normal in a few weeks, physically anyway," Helen looked away as she spoke.

"And mentally?" asked Will cautiously.

"That is entirely dependent on him," she muttered non-conclusively.

"Magnus, I was there, I saw him…cry! I have never seen him cry, Helen, I've never seen him so helpless, he's probably suffering from PTSD, survivors guilt, and a whole manner of other emotional trauma. Tesla is a man who laughs in the face of danger, runs towards flames, and spits at his enemies, the guy fell asleep in the electric for crying out loud!"

"He was alone, Will, alone among a valley of dead people, completely blind and wounded, not knowing if he was going to be rescued, he probably thought he had been there for weeks, it messes with the mind, Will, especially on a mind like Nikola's!" Helen sighed and Nikola's hand, caressing it gently.

"Exactly, whose to say that the man you sent to that slaughter is the same one you brought back!" Will said strongly, determined to get through to Magnus.

"He is much stronger than you think he is, he has pulled through a lot Will, more than you know, when he realizes he is safe at home, and that his sight will be restored, you'll see, he'll be back to the same old Nikola in no time," she turned from Will to stroke Nikola's hair.

"Why do I get this feeling that your just saying that to make yourself feel better," Will said calmly before turning on his heel and leaving.

Helen bit her lip slightly but shook it off, and looking back down to Nikola.

She checked to see if any one was watching before climbing onto the bed and resting her head on his chest, wrapping his bandaged arms around her.

She closed her eyes to listen to his heartbeat; it was steady and slow.

She lay half on top of him, pressed close, fully secured in his arms.

Her eyes opened a bit of moisture leaking out as she did so.

He was safe, that's all that mattered now, safe and at home; back with her, where she needed him.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Recognizing

Nikola awoke with a start, shivering and shaking.

"Nikola! I'm here, it's ok," came a soft voice, he felt an equally as soft hand slip into his and squeeze it softly. "You're back at the Sanctuary, you've been unconscious for 48 hours."

"H-helen?" he sighed rubbing his thumb against her hand. "You're real, right? This isn't another dream?"

"Of course not, Nikola," she said stroking his hair gently.

"No, of course not, if it was I could see you," he reached his other hand around and clasped her wrist gently, running his fingers over the skin of her forearm.

"What are you doing?" she asked, a little taken aback by his actions.

"Recognizing…" he mumbled.

"With touch?" she looked at his hand.

"Mmm-hmm," he said in response.

"Nikola you're not blind, not completely, it was the exposure to the radiation, temporary, you'll see again, you don't have to try and remember what I feel like to know it's me," Helen took his hand and kissed the palm of it.

"Are you sure it's you?" he said half-jokingly.

"Yes, and I'm not going anywhere," she patted his arm.

He swung his hand and smacked her face, feeling around and pinching her cheeks.

"Ow! What the hell!" squealed Helen.

"Just making sure it's you and not some shape-shifter using your voice," he said and Helen slapped his hand, making him recoil. "Yep, that's you."

Helen let out a small laugh.

"You had us all worried, but immortal or not, you are very hard to kill," she sighed.

"Mmmm…did anyone else…survive?" he asked abnormally quiet.

"Just get some rest, Nikola, I'll have Big Guy bring you up something to eat, you must be starved," she said, avoiding the subject.

"No…just stay…" he held on to her hand tightly.

"Alright, for a little bit, I do have a Sanctuary to run, remember?" she teased and he let a half-smile slip.

"Oh, that thing's still going, huh?" he joked.

"Do you want me to stay or not?" she scowled, even though he couldn't see it.

"Just for a little bit," he went back to his quiet tone and continued to hold her hand, so she wouldn't be able to leave even if she wanted to.

Helen just sighed and pulled up a chair and sat with him until he fell asleep

_**~~~~2 Days Ag0~~~~**_

"Get me out of here!"

Helen laughed and waved goodbye before shutting off the call on the skype application.

Nikola closed the laptop and sighed.

"Mon-Tesla, we're ready now!" shouted Mon-Bukuu.

Nikola scrubbed his hand over his face and straightened himself up.

"I heard you the first time Mon-Bucko!"

"It's Bukuu!"

"Yes, right, sorry," Nikola waved Mon-Bukuu off and headed for the meeting hut.

A small group of kids ran up to him giggling and stuck a metal spoon on to his left butt cheek.

"Hey!" cried Nikola and the kids ran off in a fury of giggles. "You're not getting it back!" he shouted at the children.

"They like you," laughed Mon-Bukuu.

"Is there anyway to get them to stop," Nikola whined.

"Unfortunately, no, as long as they can stick shiny things to your bottom you have forever won a place in their hearts," chuckled Mon-Bukuu.

"A way to a child's heart is through your bottom?" Nikola looked at Mon-Bukuu oddly.

"Only when it comes to you," said Mon-Bukuu as he pulled Nikola into the meeting hut.

Nikola managed to wrench the spoon off his butt before sitting down at his seat.

The negotiation went on for what seemed like hours…well three…he hated that he counted.

"Ok, so we both agree that trade should be sustained between both parties, and we established that the grain and fruit are the main commodities to be shared, as well as certain shares of fish and meat, and rare kinds of flowers that makes great soup spices," groaned Nikola as he rubbed his temples. "What you guys can't agree on, is the dates of the bi-annual harvest festival, is that really an important condition?"

"Yes, our people have always had our harvest festival on the 8th turn of the moon!" cried Najeeri, Lead tribal Chief of the Ban'all.

"Yes, but that date conflicts with our Sun festival!" cried Mon-Bukuu.

"Then have the new harvest festival on a date that doesn't conflict with any other festivals," sighed Nikola.

"You can't have more than one harvest festival per season!" shouted Najeeri indignantly.

Nikola groaned. He was really considering killing Magnus when she arrived. No one, not even him deserved this torture.

Suddenly there was a commotion outside, and the tribal leaders stooped all negotiations and ran out of the hut, Nikola following.

"What is it?" asked Nikola.

"I don't know," shrugged Mon-Bukuu.

In the middle of the summit was a small metal contraption, like a box.

Nikola moved past the horde of people gathering around it.

"Everybody move away from the box!" he shouted.

Through his experiences, metal boxes falling from the sky were not usually good things.

"Get as far away as you can!" he shouted.

The tribes looked at him funny then looked at the box, unsure of what to do.

"I don't mean to worry you, but this box may go boom very soon!" he looked at Mon-Bukuu who nodded then shouted something in his native language. All the people nodded at his voice and ran away from the box back into the huts.

Nikola sighed and knelt down beside the box, creating an electro-magnetic field around him to shield himself as he worked.

He was a mechanical and electrical genius, he could disable a bomb with his eyes closed, and this one was crudely designed and made out of spare parts, he doubted if it would go off anyway, if it was even supposed to go off, the structure of it was beyond bizarre.

He fiddled with it some more, moving as quickly as he could.

He heard someone shouting behind him and he turned around to see one of the young children who had been teasing him the last few days, running up to him in that innocent childlike way. A young boy, no younger than 7.

Nikola felt like time had slowed, he turned around back to the box, hearing a faint beep. Oh, how he wished he stopped counting seconds, nothing good ever came of it.

5…beep…4…beep…3…beep…

He turned his head back around to the small laughing boy, innocently running up to a curiosity the way children do.

Nikola ran as fast as he could to the boy and wrapped his arms around him, just in time to put the shield around him.

He closed his eyes as the box exploded with a blast of energy and a hot radiation that stung at his back.

Nikola felt his shield fail, and he opened his eyes, just long enough to see the little boy choke to death on the poisonous air.

The wave of radiation flew past him and hit the huts, taking down the people hiding helplessly in them, it moved past the camp and dissipated into the sunset.

He watched as people ran in panic, gasping for air, he heard trucks, vicious engines carrying blood and war as it's cargo.

Those who weren't killed by the air were gunned down.

Nikola stumbled to his feet, his eyes felt like they were on fire, his hands felt numb, and his stomach felt sick.

He pushed through it, grabbing one of the brutal soldiers, viciously beating to death one helpless woman, and using all his strength through him away and shooting him with his own weapon.

He felt a hand on the scruff of his neck spin him around to bring his face in contact with an iron fist, knocking him to the ground.

The first shot missed him by a hair, the second hit his leg, the third grazed his ear.

He felt the heat as they soldiers set fire to the huts, and whatever lay near them.

The soldier looming over top of him had his gun poised, an evil smirk across his lips, hands dripping with blood.

Nikola inhaled sharply, afraid that this breath would be his last.

Suddenly a distant shouting called to the soldier, and without a moments hesitation he brought his cruel fist down onto Nikola's face before he ran off, leaving Nikola for dead.

Nikola dully lifted up his head, his nose bleeding profusely down his face, coughing slightly as he watched people burn, gasp, cry and die all around him.

Then his there was one last blast coming from an unknown direction, throwing him into darkness.

_**~~~~Present~~~~**_

Helen ran into the infirmary when she heard Nikola's cries.

She had waited with him till he fell asleep and when she was sure he wouldn't wake up she stole away to the medical room to go over his scans again.

He hadn't stayed asleep more than half an hour.

She rushed to his side and cupped his face, speaking calmly to him, and his arms ceased flailing.

"It was only a nightmare, shush," she whispered into his ear, climbing onto the bed beside him and cradling him in her arms.

"It failed…why did it fail…" he gasped out.

"What? What failed?"

"I could've saved him! Why didn't it work?" he cried, he leaned his face into the crook of her arm, and held on to her, like he'd fall if he'd let go.

"Nikola, it was a dream," she kissed the side of his head.

"No! It wasn't a dream! It really happened!" he snapped.

"Are you talking about what happened at the summit?"

"Of course I am, what else would I be talking about?" he said, he was definitely freaking over something and Helen didn't like it. The sight of Nikola losing his cool like this had always been a discomforting sight to her. Usually it meant he was steps away from doing something foolish.

He had freaked when James had found a lead on John's whereabouts after he had been revealed as the Jack the Ripper. She wouldn't let him go after him, she knew that Nikola would not spare a second in killing John.

She had also recognized the same lack of control in Rome, when he slowly realized that she was not going to help him with his project.

Nikola was never good out of control, and this time she was frightened.

"I'm sorry, Nikola," she said calmly, stroking the hair at the back of his head as he cuddled close to her.

"Helen, I need to remember," pulled away slightly and raised his hand to her face.

"Remember what?"

"What you look like, what if I forget? What if I regain my sight and I don't recognize anything?" he said, a slight panic in his voice.

"That won't happen," Helen stroked his cheek.

"It's starting now, I can't remember, it's so faint and every time I reach for it, it moves farther away, help me," he pleaded and Helen sighed and pulled him to her again, cradling his head to her chest, like he were a frightened child.

"When you first met me, I was a blonde, you called me 'Doe Eyes' because you said my eyes were very bright and huge, I always used to resent that. My hair was curly, you used to love playing with a certain, particularly bouncy strand, and it annoyed me beyond all reason," he let out a small chuckle as she spoke, listening intently, "You said your favorite feature of mine was my flawless hands, though I never believed you, you were always staring at my cleavage," he laughed a bit more, and Helen kept entangling her hands in his hair, rubbing his skull slightly, "Though, I recall you always being disappointed when you had to kiss my hand when it was gloved, so there might've been some truth to that, though you were even more disappointed when I cut my hair and your favorite curl was gone."

"Go on," he said softly. He had calmed down significantly, which Helen saw as a good sign.

"The first time I colored my hair you disliked it immensely, I could tell, though you tried so hard not to let me know, but you said you thought auburn was for the Irish and for barmaids, and that such a strong-willed woman such as I shouldn't be confused with the like, but I knew you grew to like it, or at least had gotten used to it, but the second time you said brown hair was very sexy on me, and proceeded to leer at me the entire evening."

"Oh, you enjoyed the attention," he half-laughed.

"It was entirely inappropriate, we were having dinner with Churchhill, discussing your autotype and you couldn't keep your eyes off me," defended Helen.

"He already knew I was going to give it to him, and don't try to pretend that you didn't know that he was looking just as intently as I was."

"Nonsense," laughed Helen.

"He was practically drooling, and why shouldn't he have been, the guy, for what ever he was, had very good tastes," Helen could almost feel the presence of Nikola's smirk in the room.

"Those were the days, of good taste, good men, and-"

"Petticoats," sighed Nikola with a fond remembrance.

"For all your feminism propaganda, you really liked women wearing petticoats, didn't you?" she teased.

"More fun, nowadays you walk down the street you can see half-naked people patrolling the grounds of any bar, strip joint, and Playboy mansion," Nikola laughed back. "Then seeing a women's thigh was the height of scandal. Left the mind to wander of what was really under all those layers of fabric."

Helen rolled her eyes.

"You really are incorrigible," she kissed his forehead lightly.

"Only to a point," he said, his tone changing slightly.

"True, as voyeuristic as you pretend to be you half the soft, squishy heart of a romantic in you," Helen sighed. She'd almost forgotten what it was like just to chat with her old friend, recently all that exchanged between them was witty banter and casual flirting. She really missed having him as her best friend, like they were all those years ago back in Oxford. They had spent many times curled up like this next to the fireplace, cuddled together as unseperable as the wind was from the air.

He had loved to lean his head on her side when they were lounged on the settee together, reading poetry, or drinking tea. She always draped her arm around his head to rest her hand on the crook of his neck, he always had his arm draped over her thigh, holding his book up to the light so they could make fun of all the cheesy romantic lines of Shakespeares sonnets, or some other ballodeer. If they drank wine they would give up on reading all together after awhile and just fall asleep in the utter comfort of being with each other. Only to be harshly awakened in the morning by her maid who would shoo Nikola out as she dressed Helen.

Those had been the pleasant days of innocence and learning.

Before things came between them.

John had really taken a lot from him.

Helen snapped out of her reverie and looked down to see Nikola sleeping again. His breath calm and steady, and his face peaceful.

She kissed the top of his head, letting her lips linger for a moment.

Nikola had been waiting a long time for his best friend to come back to him, and she had always refused him.

Well she was here now. Waiting to be recognized.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Friends Again

A few days passed since they had brought Nikola back to the Sanctuary. He had been moved from the infirmary into his room.

Helen secretly moved into the room next to him so she could be close in case he had another nightmare, which he had almost every night.

Most nights she spent calming him down, cradling him and speaking soothingly to him till he fell asleep again. Some nights they would talk together till they both fell asleep.

She'd come to enjoy those nights. They reminded her of the days so long ago, more importantly, she was reminded of how he had made her feel in those days.

"Helen, can you help me find my shirts?" mumbled Nikola from across the room. Helen snapped out of her thoughts and moved to help him.

"No, no! Not like that! I want you to tell me where to go, it's like a game! Games are fun," he chuckled and Helen sat back down.

"Everything's a game to you, Nikola!" she sighed but obliged him.

"Well, what's the point of being blind if I don't learn how to use it, this is a great learning experience," he smirked like a child in her direction.

"Chair," said Helen flatly.

"What? Ow!" Nikola ran into the small chair at the desk.

"I warned you," laughed Helen.

"You said chair, what am I going to get from chair? Is it in front, back, to the side, close, a few meters away? Give me more, woman! Relative or approximate location!"

"Desk right in front of you!" shouted Helen.

"What? Ow!" he bumped into the corner of the desk and lost his balance and fell on his rump.

"Just let me help you! You're horrible with directions anyway, you always do what you want," Helen moved to him and helped him up.

"Me? You're horrible at giving them!" he whined.

Helen sighed and tossed a clean shirt at him.

"Get dressed!" she huffed.

"Oh you're no fun," he smirked. "Why am I getting dressed anyway?"

"Because you've been in the same clothes for almost a week, you've been in the same room for almost the same amount of time, you need fresh air! A nice walk will do you some good! Even if I have to drag you most the way!" Helen crossed her arms and glared at him, knowing he'd be able to sense it.

"Ooh, trying to get me alone, a nice romantic walk, hear the birds, smell the trees, make out under the setting sun," he teased.

"Just a walk, don't get any ideas," she warned him.

"Me? Nah!" he smirked as he buttoned up the shirt and tucked the tails into his trousers.

Helen turned around to pick up his coat for him, she turned around to come face to face with him, his hands placed precariously on her boobs.

"Nikola!" she cried, resisting the urge to slap him silly.

"Omigosh, it's your breasts!" he laughed in surprise.

"Hands off!" she slapped his prying fingers.

"I was aiming for your hips, but I remember your not that tall," he grinned even wider.

"Cheeky," she glared at him.

"Did they get bigger?" squeezed one lightly and Helen squirmed away.

"That is quite enough of that!" she turned him around and roughly shoved his arm into the sleeve of his coat.

He just giggled like the immature brat he was.

"Aw come on, Helen, I seriously didn't mean to grab there," he chuckled and helped with the other arm. "Besides, that blush on your cheek, means you liked it!"

"What blush?" Helen lifted her hands to her face. Dammit she was blushing.

"That blush!" he held up his hand to her face. "You're cheeks get really warm when you blush."

Helen rolled her eyes and buttoned up his coat for him.

"You are impossible!" she sighed.

"Can't blame a blind man for trying," he shrugged.

"You're not a blind man, you are a man who has temporarily lost the function of his eyes, there's a difference!" she chided.

"Of course there is!" he smirked. "For instance, I can do this!"

He grabbed her hand, spinning her to him.

He caught her, tripped her, then fell onto the bed with her in one swift motion.

"Ack! Nikola!" Helen squealed and laughed at the same time, trying to glare at him.

"Whoopsie!" said Nikola mockingly.

"I fail to see how this is a feat that can't be done by a blind man, but you've made your point, now get off!"

"It isn't, I just wanted to do it," he smirked and Helen sighed.

"Yes, and now you have, mission accomplished, get off!" she said forcefully.

"Make me!" he stuck out his tongue and Helen inhaled to give him a cutting blow, but instead she ended up choking on her spit, going into a big coughing sound.

"Helen!" Nikola's face dropped instantly; fear returning to his features as he shifted off her. "Helen! What's wrong?"

Helen managed to regain her breathing again.

"I'm fine, I just…swallowed badly…" she breathed deeply, letting out short sporatic coughs.

"Oh god, I thought I had…" Nikola shifted away, his whole playful demeanor gone.

"Nikola…" she moved to him.

Nikola's memory flashed back to the little boy choking to death from the radiation, how his electromagnetic field had just shut down, like it couldn't handle the strain.

"Why did it fail?" cried Nikola, panic rising in his voice. "Why did I let it fail?"

"What failed?" she clasped his arm.

"I did! I failed! He died because I failed! They all did!" Nikola started hyperventilating.

"Who, Nikola?" she asked calmly.

"If I hadn't stopped working I would've saved them, but I stopped! And now they're all dead!" Helen put her hands on the sides of his face and kissed him, just ever so lightly on the lips, his breathing instantly slowed at the contact.

"There was no way you could've prevented anything that happened at that summit, just like I couldn't have, but you kept yourself alive, and right now I am just glad to have you back!" she stroked away a small tear forming in his eye.

"But I couldn't save one," he shuddered and broke out into a sob.

Helen let him embrace her and cry into her shoulder.

She had never found anything so hard to hear until she had heard the sound of the great Nikola Tesla crying. He never cried. All through the century or so she had met him, he never cried. He got angry, sometimes furious, he got quiet, or still, or humorless, but he never cried. He hadn't cried for James' passing, or when she had told him of her engagement to John, the only time she remembered him even remotely close to tears was when his beloved pigeon never came home, even then though, he hadn't cried.

Though he had been sad. His eyes always held this deep sadness, this loneliness that could never be mended. She had seen his heart sink, his world shatter, ad his dreams wither in those eyes.

But now, he had been reduced to a frightened child, needing comfort and care, which she felt ill equipped to give. His mother, though she had never met the woman personally, had known how to care for her son, this delicate genius who could break into a million tiny pieces if handled poorly. Helen, on the other hand, felt useless.

Helen rocked him back and forth slowly, letting him cast all his anguish on to her.

"Helen," he said quietly after a few minutes.

"Yes," her voice cracked slightly as she tried to remain strong for him.

"I'm sorry," he kept his head rested on her shoulder.

Helen thought she might burst into tears right then. Two words she'd never thought she would hear from the scientist so sincerely, for all the mistakes he had made he had never apologized for any of them. It was who he was. Always tough and callous. Standing tall so that no one could reach him.

"For what?" she said trying to keep the emotion out of her voice.

"Everything."

Helen swallowed hard.

"There's nothing to apologize for, Nikola," she kissed the side of his head gently.

"No, of course there's not!" he snapped and pulled away from her.

"Nikola…" Helen looked at him sadly.

"Everything is just fine in happy Magnus land!" he growled getting up.

"Nightstand," Helen said as he collided into the wooden table.

He fell back clutching his knee and Helen moved to help him but was shrugged off.

"Don't! I don't want your help! Just…don't," Nikola sat himself up on the bed again. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that, it's just this condition, however temporary it may be…it's crippling, I hate being weak, I hate being this burden."

"You're not a burden," Helen said softly.

"Then why are you here? Helping me dress and taking me for walks when you have this Sanctuary to watch! Don't think I haven't noticed where you're sleeping most nights, you keep close in case I freak out in the middle of the night! Don't you have a whole network to care for! Don't tell me you have dear William holding down the fort while I become your side project! And when I regain my sight, is it all just going to go back to normal? You'll migrate back to your room, we won't talk unless it's about you wanting me to construct you some new device, or those odd times we run into each other in the hall! Helen, we used to be closer than this, we've known each other for how long, yet it feels like we were closer then and every year since we've just been drifting apart, we're like strangers, silently acknowledging each others presence! We used to be friends, Helen, but now you are closer to that rug you call a servant and that protégé, and you've only known him for what? Three years? Four? I don't want to sit around and get my hopes up that you'll ever care for me the same way as you did then," he moved his head down, as if to stare at his hands.

Helen wanted to speak but the man's confession had made her swallow her words whole.

He was right of course. They had been super close back in Oxford, she'd go as far as to say that at one point she had considered Nikola being her suitor of choice, but as fate would have it, she had waited long enough for Nikola to sum up the courage and when he did, she had fallen in love with John.

It always came back down to John. She was starting to understand why the two of them had such animosity between them. While John had her love, Nikola had her friendship, both were scared that the other would take it away from them. Especially Nikola. Helen thought it childish, but now she saw it a bit more clearly from Nikola's perspective.

When Helen fell in love with John not only did he lose his chances to win her heart but he also lost the closeness of their friendship, all those moments of happiness and comfort. He lost his confidante, compatriot, and companion. When it was just the two of them they had been on the outside together, a woman and a foreigner. He was alone for much of his life. His genius mind setting him apart from the other kids as a boy, his arrogance setting him apart from the other students in Oxford as a young man, and his vampirism setting him apart from he world as a whole.

It made her slightly angry with herself.

"I still care, Nikola, it's just things have changed, we've changed, we're not those young kids playing with a chemistry set in the basement of an old flat in London. Priorities changed, ideas changed, we changed, it's natural," she said quietly, trying to rationalize it, knowing he wouldn't see it that way.

"No, what happened was that you wanted the best the world could offer, and it wasn't me," he stood up off the bed went to walk away.

Helen grabbed his hand and pulled him back to her.

"It's not too late to catch up, Nikola, in fact, being here with you these last few days has reminded me of those times and how much I missed them," Helen sighed. "I would like to be friends again, if that's what you want."

Nikola sighed and sat down beside her, taking her hand gently.

"I haven't had one of those in a long time," he said quietly.

Helen smiled and stood up.

"Let's get on that walk, I didn't spend the whole morning getting you dressed for you to bail on me now!" she smiled.

"Ugh! Do we have to?" he whined.

"Yes! Now move it you blind fool!" she tugged him off the bed and to the door. "Don't make me whip you!"

"Oh be still my beating heart," he teased as he followed her.

~~~~Elsewhere~~~~

William hung up the phone and groaned rubbing his temples.

He had spent the last hour on the phone with Beijing discussing the shipment of a rare type of amphibian to be transported from the New York facility, to London then to Beijing, where they would let it loose down in the marshes in the less populated regions. The marshes were the closest thing to the creatures natural habitat, and they had been facilitating it for years prepping it for the integration into this environment, but some idiot had lost the thing and it hadn't reached London. The whole situation was a nightmare, and Will was the mediator, standing in for Magnus.

He realized that Magnus was looking after Tesla until his sight was back, in fact he gratefully volunteered to take over her duties until then because the thought of him, Henry, or Kate, having to look after the man was more frightening than being stuck in the SHU wearing a meat suit.

But he had forgotten that Magnus had a hard job, and today was one of those days where Will wanted to crawl under the desk and suck his thumb.

"Ok, on the frog creature situation, there are reports of a crate showing up in Wyoming freight station, luckily the thing should have enough sedative to be out for a few more days, I've sent word to New York, they've got their people on it," Kate said barging in with the record from Wyoming.

"Oh, great, I just got off the phone with Beijing, and I swear if they call me one more time complaining about temporal climate shifts and Marsh fog ratios I'm going to go over there and shoot them myself!" Will exclaimed.

"Well if this lead pans out we'll have ole frog boy by them in less than 48 hours, just chill," Kate said calmly. "The stress starting to get to you?"

"You have no idea, I'm up to my ears in reports, supply commissions and requisitions, and Magnus is over there having tea with Mr. Magoo!" whined Will.

"Well Tesla will shape up, just a few more days, it can't get any worse than this," Kate shrugged.

"I'm not so sure of that," sighed Will.

"What? That it can't get worse?" asked Kate.

"No, that Tesla will be fine in a few more days,' said Will and Kate bit her lip.

_**~~~~Nighttime~~~~**_

Helen looked up at the night sky, blinking her eyes. She couldn't remember when she fell asleep, or when Nikola had for that matter, but she was very much cuddled up against him

He was soundly sleeping in the grass of the garden.

She reached her hand up and ruffled his hair lightly and he groaned and opened his eyes at the contact.

"I thought the whole idea was to go for a walk, not a camp out," he mumbled, yawning, but not moving to get up.

"We were feeling the breeze as I recall your explanation of it," she sighed, not moving away either.

"Well, we couldn't very well do some cloud watching now could we?" he let out a small chuckle.

"We can do it another time," she shrugged.

"When I get my sight back, clouds won't be the thing I want to see," he sighed.

Helen laughed and rested her head against his chest again, letting a small shiver course through her.

"You're cold?" he asked.

"That's why I'm cuddled next you," she said matter-of-factly.

"Really? And here I thought we were going to make love under the stars," he grinned and Helen punched his side.

"Ok, uncle!" he whined in defense.

Helen relaxed against him again.

"I can hear you breathing," he mumbled.

"Can you?" Helen sighed, not really listening.

"Yes, it's nice, it reminds me that you're there," he sighed and Helen looked up at him.

"What does silence remind you of?" she asked cautiously.

"Death," he said flatly, shifting slightly.

Helen shifted her self to look at him.

"It's really scary, isn't it? Being alone," she said softly.

"More than you can imagine," he felt her hand on his chest and he sucked in a breath. "What're you doing?"

"Pardon me?" Helen looked at him with concern.

"Your hand," he said reaching for it.

"Oh, uh, nothing, i'm sorry, I didn't even notice," she moved it and sat up.

"It's nothing, I just…notice it more," he realized she had shifted away and he felt around for her. "Hey."

He found her arm and tugged it lightly.

"Hey, we should get inside it's late," she muttered grabbing his hand.

"I thought it had gotten colder," he smirked.

"You start without me, holler if you find yourself lost," she pushed him in the right direction.

"Don't worry, I've been counting…" he grinned and kept walking.

"Bench!" she warned.

"What? Ow!" he smacked his knee into the side of it and Helen rolled her eyes.

She sighed and looked up at the night sky again, staring at the white moon.

It had been just like old times, for one day they had forgotten everything that had ever happened, it was like being transported back to 1977, walking in the park near Oxford University. Without all this baggage and history they fell back into step with each other, like they had never changed. She was reminded of how sweet he could be, and how attentive he was when she talked to him, and his gentility with nature. They used to laugh a lot back in Oxford, and cause all kinds of mischief. From terrorizing fellow students, to feeding pigeons by the pond, to going down to the pub, defying all conventions and grabbing a drink, all their good times and adventures.

Now she was back to 100 years ago, before the Five, before John. When only one man occupied her thoughts and all the world was their playground. Her heart fluttered at the old but familiar feeling. She has a crush on her best friend again…she had a crush on Nikola Tesla.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Baggage

Nikola stared up at the ceiling of the catacombs, the blood from his abdomen seeping into the age-old dirt.

Bloody Druitt, always ruined everything.

He spat a bit as his vision blurred in and out of focus, a he could just make out the edge of a skull resting above his head. He heard his creations not to far away, staring at him like lost puppies.

He didn't care for them at this moment, if anything he wanted them to leave him alone in his misery.

Misery. A word he associated with himself much too often. It was tragic really.

His abdomen would heal in time, his wounds usually did, but the hurt remained, like a physical memory. If his wounds left scars there would be a multitude.

He'd never forget the way she ran to him, after all that man had done to her, to others, she ran to him, like it was himself that had murdered all those women long ago, like he was the one she couldn't trust. He would never kill her, maybe persuade her a little bit, but kill her, he had never lifted a hand to her in malice, never raised his arm to bruise her cheek, how could she think that he could do so now? Had he gone crazy?

Possibly.

He looked down at the blood and groaned.

One of the creatures moved to help.

"Don't touch me!" Nikola snapped.

He would never be so pathetic as to accept help from a brainless invention, especially after his pride haven taken such a cruel blow.

He reached a hand up and grabbed a ledge of one of the aged pillars that held up the roof of the catacombs.

His bloodstained fingers came in contact with the earthy dust and Nikola let out a grunt as he lifted himself off the ground.

He kept a hand firmly on his abdomen and his creatures scurried away from him as he leaned against the stone and breathed heavily. His eyes closed as he le the pain wash over him.

He felt a hand cover his, it was soft, warm, comforting, his opened to see Helen. Not the same Helen that had left him for dead, but his Helen. She came in many forms but he always knew it was her. For a long time she had come to him in the form of a pigeon, but now she came to him in a flowing white gown, a soft smile gracing her features. Her hand pressed into his abdomen as she placed the softest of kisses on his lips.

"You are so stubborn, Niko," she laughed as she pulled away.

"Am not," he gasped out.

"Stop resisting, I can't help you if you keep resisting," she said softly, leaning seductively close to his ear. "I know how to make you feel better."

"You! You're the reason I ended up like this!" he growled.

"Nonsense!" she defended, running her hand through his hair.

"Say that to the hole in my gut!" he accused.

She just smiled, twisting his cowlick around her finger.

"What do you want Helen? You've made it perfectly clear that you don't want me," he said sadly, looking away from her crystal blue eyes.

"I have made no such declaration," she smiled, cupping the sides of his face and kissing him strongly, nearly knocking the wind out of his lungs.

He felt his heart beat faster as her hands trailed down his neck to his chest back down to his abdomen where one of them plunged deep into the fist-sized hole, making him cry out in response.

She pushed him back against the wall, a supernatural strength weakening him under the palm of her hand.

Her free hand left his chest and grabbed a fistful of his hair pulling his head back.

"Finish me!" he snarled at her, if he was going to die by her hand he was going to do it looking into her eyes.

She just smiled, her soft features curling slightly and her eyes twinkled.

She let go of his hair and brought her hand down to caress his cheek.

"Do you feel better now?" she said gently.

He looked down realizing the hole in his abdomen was gone, and the pain that had racked his entire body was nothing but a dull memory.

He looked back at her in wide-eyed amazement.

"How did you-" she stopped him a finger on his lips.

She leaned up to him once more and kissed him just as softly as she had the first time, his eyes closing for the briefest of seconds, only to lose her altogether.

He opened his eyes and he was back in the catacombs alone.

No sign of his Helen anywhere, just the empty silence her presence had left him in.

"Nikola!"

Nikola startled awake, bonking the cap of his knee onto the underside of the table.

"That is the third time you've fallen asleep on me, I'm starting to get concerned."

He felt her fingers pry open his eyelids.

"Helen! I'm fine!" he slapped her hand away.

"Every time I turn around you end up dozing off, it's very disconcerting," she placed her hands on his cheeks.

"Well maybe if you talked about something more interesting I wouldn't fall asleep," Helen gave him a look but he just grinned.

"Sometimes I wonder what's going on in that mind of yours," she sighed.

"Mostly fantasies of you on a beach," he said with a grin.

"What kind of beach?" she sounded suspicious.

"The nude kind," he chuckled and she hit him in the shoulder. "Hey!"

"Seriously, let me take you to the infirmary, give you a check up," she pressed her palm against his forehead.

"Why don't we just skip to the fun part and do a strip search?" he grinned his Cheshire cat smile.

"Why don't you ever take anything seriously?" Helen mocked him.

"Aw come on, Helen, I'm fine! I just get sleepy when I can't see daylight, I have over a hundred years of sleeping to catch up on you know, now remove the bug up your butt and just relax, I'm not going to die the moment you turn your back to me, " he got up from his chair.

"We don't know if that's true, maybe a latent trauma, one scan?" she asked politely.

"Do I get a treat?" he gave her a grin.

"What do you think?" she glared at him.

"Your giving me doe eyes, aren't you?" he pointed just off from her position.

Helen shook her head.

"March!" she ordered pushing him out the door of the lab to the infirmary.

"Alright, don't shove!" he whined.

They passed Will and Kate in the hallway and Helen nodded with a smile at the pair of them before dragging Nikola into the elevator.

"I see the two of them seemed to have become buddies," Kate chuckled elbowing Will.

"Believe it or not, this is the second time around," muttered Will.

"I can't imagine what it's like to be friends with someone that long, especially without baggage," Kate sighed, her silly girly romantic notions tumbling around in her mind.

"Oh they have baggage," Will sighed.

"Really?" she looked at him funny.

"Oh yah, they're just better at dealing with it, I mean they've had a lot of practice," Will kept walking, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Why do I sense some discomfort from you, Will?" Kate asked, mocking Helen's voice.

"Because it's Tesla…and Magnus, I think she is letting her feelings for him cloud her judgement and it is going to end up with bad consequences, Tesla may regain his sight but he needs therapy, I've asked Magnus to give me a session with him but she has refused me, the man witnessed a horrendous slaughter of over 500 innocent people, you don't just get up, brush the dust off and walk away from that…even if you are Tesla," he sighed.

"What do you mean her feelings for him? Are you saying the Doc-"

"Baggage Kate, baggage," Will said cryptically as he quickened his pace.

_**~~~~Elsewhere~~~~**_

Nikola lied in Henry's improved MRI machine, the Whoompf, whoompf, whoompf sound of its inner workings moving around him.

He could feel the heat from the machines light on his forehead.

"Just lie still, Nikola," said Helen from the booth

"I thought I was," he joked.

"Not quite," he looked up and saw Helen's face staring down at him.

"Helen?" he blinked, wondering if he was dreaming.

"Just lie still," she breathed seductively. Her hands trailed allover him, making his breath hitch in his throat.

"This isn't exactly the appropriate place, Helen," he sat up but her slender hand pushed him back down on to the cold MRI bed.

"Does it really matter, Nikola, it's exciting, you like excitement," she pushed her hands under his shirt.

"This isn't excitement this is…confusing, I don't understand it, you're doing this to me on purpose!" he felt his head throb all of the sudden.

"And if I am?" she drawled into his ear, clawing his chest.

Nikola squirmed to get away from under her grasp.

She grabbed his throat and slammed him down again, her eyes turning red and menacing.

She raised her hand above her head and plunged it hard into his chest.

He screamed in pain and moved to get away, closing his eyes.

He opened them back up to the blackness he'd come to know as his reality.

"Nikola!" Helen ran up to him and grabbed his hand.

"Don't!" he moved away from her, scurrying off the bed of the MRI and across the room. He collided into a plastic table and shattered a glass sitting on top of it.

He held his hand as he kept running from her, as if terrified of some invisible force.

His back hit the wall and he held there, his hand bleeding profusely on to the floor.

Helen went up to him cautiously.

"Nikola, it's alright, you just fell asleep under the scanner, you're perfectly safe," she looked at the blood trailing down his arm.

"I don't believe you!" he shouted wildly.

"Nikola, it's me, Helen," he pressed his back even more to the wall.

"It was a nightmare, only a nightmare, I'm real," she reached out and took his uninjured hand.

"Helen," he gasped out in semi-relief, "What's wrong with me?"

Helen looked at him sadly, he was raw and exposed, his eyes stinging with tears.

"I don't know, Nikola," Helen deflated, feeling beaten down by his lack of stubborn grandeur arrogance. This tender, childlike boy afraid of monsters, a far-cry from the magnificent Tesla he had once been.

Nikola, even when in dire straits, never acted like it. Even in Columbia when he confessed he felt stripped of his greatness he still held himself proudly…that was the real greatness of Nikola Tesla.

Like this one song that Ashley used to play loudly on the radio "I get knocked down, but I get up again, you're never gonna keep me down," horrible English as it was, the phrase well-suited her old friend.

Not now though. This whole situation had found Nikola's soft underbelly and cut him to the core; every man must have some breaking point, maybe this was his.

Helen brought him to the infirmary after he had calmed down and bandaged up his hand silently.

"I'm sorry," said Nikola, so faintly she could've mistaken it for a child's.

"It's not your fault," she dismissed it and continued cleaning the wound.

"No, I shouldn't have freaked out like that," he let out a sigh.

"It's those nightmares, they're terrorizing you, that's why you're tired, you close your eyes and see these awful images, no wonder you don't sleep," she wrapped his hand in gauze.

"Its so confusing…at first I had these flashes in my dreams of what happened at the summit, they just made me sick, but the terrifying ones, I mean the truly terrifying ones, are so real, so tangible, I can't distinguish it from reality, sometimes it's so close," he brought his free hand up to rub his face. "It's like I can't tell when I'm dreaming and when I'm awake."

"You will when you're sight comes back, is it getting any better?" she asked.

"What, like am I seeing a lighter shade of dark? No! It's just dark!" he snapped bitterly.

"Don't be like that," Helen chided.

"How can I be anything else, face it Helen, I'm am forever crippled! I can't see, can't dream, I can't invent! I am just a hopeless mess! And don't tell me I'm not a burden because I know that's not true, every moment you spend with me is a moment you're not doing your job, which means someone else is! I can't take care of myself, can't even think for myself! What am I now? An overgrown child!" he tilted his head down in defeat.

"You were always a child Nikola," Helen attempted at a joke.

He sneered at her in response.

"You will get your sight back, it's just taking some time, and you are not hopeless," she said calmly.

"Please, Helen, I can't even find the bathroom without help! I used to be something a grand, now what have I got, they say I died a senile impoverished old man, well you know what? I just might!" he groaned and rubbed his face again.

Helen squeezed his injured hand making him yelp.

"Now you listen to me, Nikola, I just got my oldest friend back and I am not letting him go without a fight, so you stop this pity party right now or I will shoot you!" she said forcefully.

"Yes mother," he whined but his lips curled into their usual grin. "And don't you worry about your dreams, I'll make sure you remember which one is which, just promise not to shatter anymore glass in the process."

"Will you cuddle me?"

His cheeky grin got even wider and she just squeezed his wounded hand again, making him yelp again.

She continued fixing up his wounded hand.

"Am I really your oldest friend?" he said after a few minutes.

"I meant it in the literal term, you are over 100 years old," she remarked flatly.

"Well in that case, the compliment I was going to give you can just blow away, oh look there it goes!" he retorted sarcastically.

"As flattered as I am, I don't think "you look good for an 160 year old" really counts," Helen cut the excess bandage.

"I wasn't going to say that," he laughed.

"Then what?" she asked as she put the med kit away.

"It's nothing, I'll tell you later," he shrugged.

"No, tell me," she insisted coming back up to him and taking his unbandaged hand.

"Well, I…" he paused for a moment, "…I think you're my oldest friend too."

Helen smiled and pecked his cheek.

"How sweet of you," she mocked slightly and helped him to his feet. "Now, I'm starved, how about you?"

"Starved of what?" he grinned.

"Oh just move," she pushed him in the direction of the door.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – Uncalled For

Helen walked into Will's office, an awkward slightly hesitant air around her. She rapped her knuckles on the open door gaining his attention.

"Magnus? What can I do for you?" Will looked at her with slight surprise.

She hesitated, letting her words form in her mind carefully before she spoke them.

"Ever since we brought Nikola back you've been wanting to…talk with him," Helen twiddled her fingers behind her back, finding this request more difficult than it should be. "…And I refused you…but I'm starting to think you were right."

"What happened?" asked Will, standing up.

"He's been falling asleep like crazy and he's haunted by these night terrors, he claims he can't tell when it's a dream or when it's reality, and I'm afraid he might hurt himself, well, hurt himself more," she looked down, feeling ashamed about not listening to her protégé.

"He's hurt? How badly?" asked Will, concern crossing his features.

"Just a cut on his hand, nothing to serious, I left him with Kate," she said, keeping her gaze down.

"Well, send him up," said Will noticing Helen's downcast behavior. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I just can't help but feel I'm partially responsible for this, for all this! I sent him to that summit, I left him alone in the dark, I'm keeping him from getting help," Helen sat down and put her head in her hands.

"Don't say that, look send him here, I'll have a talk with him, we'll get to the root of it, but don't go blaming yourself for this, no one could've predicted that slaughter," said Will calmly.

"Yes, but he should be getting better by now, he hasn't changed, what if I was wrong and his sight won't return? What if he stays like this forever?" Helen felt a small tear escape down her cheek.

"Magnus? Do you care for him?" asked Will, semi-shocked at her distress.

She looked up at him.

"Will, he's my friend, of course I do," she sobbed lightly.

"You know what I mean," he looked at her with a sigh.

"He's my oldest friend, Will, despite him being an ass…it's just so hard seeing him like this, especially since I'm just starting to remember just how close we used to be," she wiped her eyes.

"I was always under the impression that James or Druitt had been your oldest friends, are you saying you knew Tesla first?" he asked.

She nodded her head.

"We were two outsiders at Oxford, I was a woman he was a foreigner, we went hand-in-hand with each other, he was my best friend way before I even met John," she let out a deep sigh to try and control herself.

"Then what happened?" he sat next to her.

"Oh, you know, life happens people change, he changed, we grew apart, and when he came back John and I had grown closer," she sighed and grabbed a tissue.

"So were you two together?" he looked at her inquisitively.

"No," she shook her head, "Though I won't deny that I thought about it back then, I was quite smitten by him actually, he was so strange and brilliant before The Five, you might have actually enjoyed him, he was the only man at that school that treated me square, and he was always ready to knock any man off his feet who didn't."

"He was a good friend?" asked Will.

"Very much so, we did a lot of unconventional things together, we ran experiments in his dorm room, went out on school nights," she laughed slightly at the memory. "But then The Five formed and he had to share me with three other men, and then with the sourceblood…everything just dissolved, it all became serious, he broke away from the Five convinced that he could use his gift for good, despite what you believed he hated that he had turned into a vampire, that was before he could control it."

"What do you mean use his gift for good?" Will watched her carefully.

"He claimed that he could see things clearer, like his thought were laid out before his eyes like blueprints and he had to use it to fulfill his original dream of becoming pioneer in electrical engineering, abandoning everyone for Budapest, then later Paris, I didn't see him till he came back in 1883, claiming he had invented the machine that would bring the world out of the dark ages."

"The AC generator?"

"The induction motor to be specific," she wiped her eyes again.

"So, you thought he abandoned you and he thought you replaced him," Will leaned back in his chair, processing al this new information.

Helen nodded.

"John and I had been courting in secret when he came back, two years later we were engaged, at that point Nikola had already left to New York, he didn't come back till John was discovered, he convinced his friends in New York that he had a breakdown because of his mother's passing and went to her hometown to mourn but he was really in London looking to pick a fight with John," she sighed.

"I can imagine him being pretty pissed," shrugged Will.

"Pissed doesn't even cut it, he was enraged! I guess his anger came from his own affections for me, I assume you already know that," Helen sighed again.

"I am a behavioral scientist, I do happen to notice things from time to time," smirked Will.

"I hadn't realized how much he had lost because of John, I never saw it more than petty jealousy or rivalry, but to him it was much more than that," Will stood up and poured her a glass of water.

"Well, if it's as you say, when you and Druitt got together he was robbed of his oldest and best friend, his confidante, his only close relationship, and possibly the only woman he as ever cared for," Will handed the glass of water.

"It's enough to make any one feel like a bastard," she took it gratefully. "Look at me, I came in here to get Nikola an appointment and I find myself in one."

Will let out a light laugh.

"It seems it was something you needed to get off your chest," he sat down again and Helen stood up.

"Possibly, but I trust you will keep doctor-patient confidentiality," she smoothed down her skirt.

"Of course," he waved his hand dismissively.

"I'll bring Nikola to you in an hour, is that good enough?" she asked.

He nodded his head.

"Right then," she left the office and headed to where she had left Nikola in the care of Kate and Henry.

"Put it down Magoo, it's not a toy," she heard Henry.

"I'm not going to drop it if that's what you're worried about," came Nikola's voice.

Clank! Clink! Ting-a-ling!

"You dropped it!" cried Henry.

"You moved the table!" cried Nikola.

"Is it supposed to blink like that?" came Kate.

"No it's not! Thank you Stevie Wonder! Thank you!" whined Henry.

Helen walked in the middle of the scurmmage.

"Doc! Tell him to stop touching my things!" whined Henry.

"I only dropped one!" Nikola shrugged looking at her with his blank open eyes, his grin growing slowly.

"Come with me," Helen shrugged.

"Ooh, where are we going?" he smiled, fully now.

"Out of their hair," she looked at Kate and Henry and mouthed a 'sorry' to them as she pulled him out of the lab.

"Seriously Nikola, if you want to live forever I suggest you don't piss off my staff," she laughed.

"Helen, have you been crying?" he asked, stopping in his tracks.

"No, why?" she looked at him slightly shocked.

"There's an unusual timber to your voice, you sounded a little stuffed up," he reached his hands to her face, "Your cheeks feel wet, are you sure?"

"I'm fine Nikola, I just washed my face, will you let it go?" she pushed his hands away and he deflated.

"Ok," he moved his eyes downwards.

He started walking again.

"So where are we going?" he asked a little downtrodden.

"Will wants to have a little talk with you," she said walking beside him.

He stopped again.

"Wait, are you talking about one of the psychological get inside my brain and mess around in there kind of talks, because if so I'm just going back to Heinrich," he pointed back in the direction they just came.

"It's only for awhile, I really think he can help you with your night terrors," she said holding his arm so he couldn't leave.

"Not night terrors, just nightmares, that's all they are, just nightmares! If I had some bed time company I'm sure they would go away," he grinned.

"I'll ask Big Guy," Helen teased and Nikola frowned.

"I'm not doing it," he stated firmly.

"Please, just one session, for me," she gives him a face even though he can't see it.

"You're giving me doe eyes aren't you?" he asked.

"Mm-hm," she nodded.

He scrunched up his face in a whine.

"Oh…alright!" he sighed heavily and Helen patted his back.

"That's the spirit," she laughed.

"You owe me," he grumped and let her drag him to Will's office.

She pulled him into the elevator and looked at him.

"Do you remember back in Oxford, New Years Eve, 1877?" she asked cautiously.

"Yes, we snuck into my dorm and shared a dance, why?" he looked in her direction, a little off-put by her question.

"That's the first time we danced, do you remember?" she looked at him tenderly.

"Yah, you acted like any moment your father was going to burst in and condemn us for touching each other," he chuckled. "Is there a reason you ask?"

Helen raised a hand to caress his cheek.

"I've just been thinking, you know, about those old days, I just wanted to know if you remembered," he shuddered slightly at her touch.

He stepped back away from her.

"Please stop," he whimpered, a panic rising in his voice.

"Nikola?" she looked at him funny.

"No please, I don't want to go through this again!" he moved to the farthest corner of the elevator, pressing his back into it.

"Go through what, Nikola? It's me!" she looked at him as he started hyperventilating.

"It's you now, but you're going to turn ugly real soon," he closed his eyes and grabbed the sides of his head.

"Nikola what's wrong?" she ran up to him concerned.

"No! Stay back!" he cried moving away from her.

"You can see me?" she asked, shocked.

"Yes, but you're not real! None of this is real!" his breathing became tight and short.

"Nikola, I'm real, I'm not going to hurt you, just let me help," she went up to him and he cried out again.

Will heard something coming from the elevator and ran out of his office to assist. The doors opened and Helen was kneeled over Tesla's unconscious body.

"What happened?" asked Will joining Magnus.

"I don't know, he just suddenly freaked out, I think his sight came back, almost suddenly, he thought it was one of his nightmares, then he just passed out," she checked his pulse.

"What do you mean his sight came back?" asked Will.

"He saw me, I know he saw me, but he couldn't distinguish it, he thought he was dreaming and that something bad was going to happen, he said that I was going to turn ugly," she looked down at Nikola.

"Is that even possible?" Will looked at Nikola then at Helen.

"I have never heard of it sight coming back like that, not so rapid, it was like it was fluctuating, I could see it," Helen looked at Will.

"This doesn't make any sense," mumbled Will.

_**~~~~New York 1941~~~~**_

Nikola sat on the roof of the New Yorker, his birds twittering in their pens as he looked out across the horizon, his eyes searching it carefully.

"Where is she? Where is she?" he muttered over and over again.

"She's not here," muttered one of the pigeons behind him.

The rest stirred up in a coo of laughter.

"She'll come, she said she would," he kept his eyes fixed on the horizon.

"I think she stood you up!" chimed in another one.

"She wouldn't do that, not to me," he muttered trying to drown out their taunting cackle.

"Maybe she has another crazy on the side!" they erupted into laughter.

"Maybe a cat would enjoy you on the side!" he turned and glared at them and they fell silent. "She's going to come, she wouldn't lie to me."

"Yeesh, relax, if she comes she comes, you're not helping yourself by looking so intently," said the first bird.

"I want to see her when she comes," he craned his neck to look for her.

"I am already here," he looked beside him and saw her on the ledge.

"I knew you would come," he smiled reaching his hand to her to stroke her head.

"I promised I would," she looked up at him with her large eyes.

He offered her his finger and she hopped on to it.

"I wish you would stay here where I could keep an eye on you, you worry me so," he continued to stroke her small head.

"There's no need to worry, I can take care of myself," he looked away and when he looked back she had morphed, blonde curly hair, blue twinkling eyes, and a soft smile, a gentle white hand wrapped around his finger.

"Helen, I only want what's best for you, you know that," he reached his hand over to her and caressed her cheek.

"And keeping me here would be in my best interest…or would it be for yours?" she looked at him.

"You know I would protect you," he ran a hand through her hair.

"Who says I need protection?" she shifted away from his hand.

"Please, if only for a little while, at least till winter passes," he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

He pulled back and she looked at him with a soft smile.

"You care very much for me, Niko, it is sweet, but uncalled for," she turned away.

"It is not uncalled for if it is real," he scooted closer to her.

She looked at him disbelievingly.

"Now, Niko, don't get sentimental on me, it's wholly unlike you," she teased.

"I love you, Helen, it is no joke, I want you to be with me, I want you to stay," he cupped her cheek.

"You don't love me, you have just convinced yourself that you are," she looked away, her tone slightly hurt.

"Isn't that the same thing?" he took her hand.

"No, it's not! It means that you love someone else and are projecting those affections on to me, it's unfair and you know that!" Helen looked at him softly again. "No doubt you feel something for me, but it is not as strong as love."

He looked down sadly from her rejection.

She sighed and took his chin in her fingers, lifting his eyes to hers.

"I will tell you this, I do hold certain affections for you, which is why I don't deny you these visits."

She cupped his face and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Her hands creeped up into his hair as the kiss became more fervent and he kissed back, his hands coming to her shoulders and slowly sliding downwards.

She pulled away and smiled.

"That should tie you over until our next encounter," she said preparing to leave.

"No, stay! Just a little longer, please," he held her hand.

"I can't, I have to go, but I will come back before the month is through, I promise," she patted his hand gently.

"That long! How am I supposed to wait when every day I will worry for your safety," he looked at her, desperate for her to stay.

"Distract yourself, you've always been good at that," she smiled and pecked his cheek one last time, he closed his eyes trying to keep the contact.

When he opened his eyes she had morphed back into a pigeon and she laughed little as she took flight, leaving him alone on the roof…

Nikola sprung awake, a feeling of heaviness on his chest, like someone was sitting on it, he blinked and saw color, faint blurry color, but color none-the-less.

"Hello!" he called out, unaccustomed to the sudden change in his vision.

"Hey, Tesla, hows it going?" came Will's voice.

"Willhelm!" he teased, his smile dawning his face. "Good news, I can see you, well an outline of you, more like a blurred impression, but still!"

"That's great, we were worried for a moment there," Will sat up and took a penlight and flashed it into Nikola's pupils.

"Ahh! What is that?" cried Nikola.

"Light," said Will.

"Well it hurts!" Nikola rubbed his eyes.

"But the point is you can see it," said Will.

"Not anymore! I think you burned my retina!" whined Nikola.

"It means your vision is improving," Will smiled.

"So you plan to destroy it again, oh that's smart," mumbled Nikola sardonically.

Will sighed and sit back down.

"I'd like to have a little chat with you if you don't mind," started Will.

"I do mind, but as I see it I don't have much of a choice," sighed Nikola, crossing his arms.

"Tell me about these nightmares you seem to be having," said Will.

"Just nightmares, there's nothing wrong with me, my parents loved me when I was a child, I was never molested as a boy, I have no thought of suicide, and I do not have a thing for my mother, are we done now?" whined Nikola.

"Well, what are these nightmares about, do they have a central theme, are they the same every time?"

"No, they're different each time."

"So they have a central theme, a common link?

"I see the same person in them."

"And who is this person?" Will asked calmly.

"Does it matter, she's just a person!" bit Nikola.

"So it's a she."

"Yes, it's a she!" growled Nikola.

"Who is she? You're mother?"

"No she is not my mother, I have nothing wonky going on with my mother."

"Well it's kind of hard, being the other son."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your older brother Dane died when you were very young didn't he?"

"Did Magnus tell you that?" he looked away.

"It's amazing what you can find on wikipedia…he was said to be the perfect son, and the loss of his life drove you to try and fill his place resulting in severe OCD tendencies and your mysophobia."

Nikola stayed silent.

"Dane shouldn't have died young…and so you tried to replace him but you were never good enough, your father wanted you to become a priest didn't he?"

"We're done here," growled Nikola.

"Who is the woman in your nightmares?"

"We're done here."

"A woman from your past? What does she represent?"

"We're done here."

"Is she a significant part of your life? What does she do in your dreams?"

"We're done here!"

"Let me help you Tesla! Just tell me!"

"IT'S HELEN!" shouted Nikola.

Will was effectively silenced.

"Are you happy now, Freud!" Nikola snarled.

Will looked at the man incredulously.

"Magnus?"

"No Keller," snapped Tesla.

"You have nightmares about Magnus?" Will felt like he just got a shock to his brain.

"It's not Magnus…I mean it started out as Magnus and then it changes and she becomes this nasty creature, and I can't stop her, she becomes hellbent on destroying me…and then she's there when I wake up, and I can't tell if any moment she will kill me just like in my dreams…they're all so real," whimpered Nikola.

Will looked at the man.

"So, your nightmares have nothing to do with the summit murders?"

"No…that would make sense…"

"What does Helen do to you in these dreams?"

"Try to kill me."

"How?"

"Painfully."

Nikola made a face at Will and he sighed.

"In what way does she try to kill you?"

"In very weird ways."

"What kind of weird ways?"

"The really weird kind."

Will groaned.

"Look, Tesla, if you want to stop having these nightmares you have to trust me, you have to be open with me, you're not helping yourself by avoiding the questions," Will looked at him with the sincerity of a psychiatrist.

Nikola huffs.

"She doesn't try to kill me outright, she usually tries to trick me…then she attacks me," he says quietly.

"How does she trick you?"

"More like distracting."

"How does she distract you?"

"How does any woman distract a man?"

"She seduces you?"

"That would be one way of putting it."

"Then she tries to kill you?"

"Most of the time, sometimes she just gets violent."

"Are you scared of strong women?"

Nikola gave him a look.

"Of course not, I love strong women."

"Are you scared of Helen?"

Nikola closed his mouth.

"Of course not…"

"But you are scared of getting close to her, afraid of getting hurt."

"I think this is getting too personal for one day," said Nikola dismissively.

"But we've just broken through the surface," protested Will.

"I think we're done for the day, William," said Nikola sternly.

"Oh, ok…but I would like to have another talk with you again," Will got up and headed for the door.

"We'll see," mumbled Nikola.

Nikola didn't turn his gaze to Will he just kept staring at the wall dumbly.

What if Will was right?

He looked at the wall blankly, like he was concentrating on a single speck on the wall on it.

He had to leave again, he had to get away from her, he was getting to close again, closer than he ought to be. The place he wanted to be the most was also the most dangerous and one thing Nikola knew how to do was survive.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Five Dollar Bet

Helen watched Nikola sleep on the couch in her office.

He had grown into a habit of falling asleep there every day at 1:30, Helen blushed to admit she enjoyed watching him sleep.

On the first day: he came in, collapsed on the couch, ranted on how difficult life was for a half-blind man, then fell asleep during her explanation of how he really shouldn't complain because there were a lot of fully blind people who would give their right foot to see half the things he could. She was concerned that he was going to wake up and freak out again and so she didn't move to wake him, but he stayed still, lightly snoozing. Then she noticed how handsome he looked when he wasn't being an obnoxious ass; how is cowlick drooped slightly as he breathed in and out slowly. She watched his sturdy, but lithe chest rise, and the material folded and unfolded as he drew in barely audible breaths. He was quite adorable, in fact, when he sinked into the couch, stretching his legs out the length of it, made some kind of content sigh-mumble-gurgle, then smooshed his face into the armrest. She wanted to take a picture and compare it to that of a sleeping kitty.

He slept for over an hour, and she had watched about 90% of it, not being able to turn away from it. Every sigh and half-mumbled word drew her attention away from her work and back to watch him for another five minutes. A part of her wanted to lift one of his long arms and crawl into the space underneath it and join him, but it would be wholly inappropriate, especially if her staff were to walk in, or if Nikola woke up.

After that he had made it a daily occurrence, like clockwork; he'd come in, sometimes with a book or newspaper, occasionally with a glass of wine, and he'd sit on the couch, relax, and eventually fall asleep.

Helen tried not to make it a habit of watching him, but she found the temptation all too irresistible.

Sometimes she'd lay off her work for the entire hour he'd sleep, completely entranced by it.

And so for 5 days they had developed their routine of sleeping and watching, watching and sleeping.

Today was no different, he read a book of poetry for a good five minutes then fell asleep, the book poised on his chest, his arm raised above his head and his nose resting against his bicep, his grey vest unbuttoned, his hair disheveled…

"Helen, will you stop staring at me so intensely as I sleep," he mumbled, snapping Helen out of her thoughts.

"What?" she blinked, feeling a blush creep into her cheeks.

"You're staring, and as flattered as I may be it makes it quite difficult to relax under your watchful gaze, so stop it," he kept his eyes closed as he talked and Helen shifted away.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, besides, this is my office I may stare at whatever I like, this is not your personal napping room," she said typing something at her computer.

"You could join me," he suggested with a slight grin.

"I am infinitely more busy than you are Nikola, I don't have time to nap," she said, trying to act like she was working.

"Yet you have time to stare at me?" he cracked an eye open.

"I wasn't staring," she dismissed, filing out a requisition form for Henry.

"Methinks ye doth protest too much, who knows Helen, a five minute nap might do you good, it does for me," he shrugged, reclosing his eyes and letting out a sigh.

"Please, you never sleep for just five minutes, 45 at best," she muttered.

"So you've been counting?" he grinned, reopening his eyes.

"I have not!" Helen groaned.

"Oh forgive me, I forgot you have an internal clock that just knows the time of day off hand!" he teased.

Helen tried to ignore him.

"Come on, Helen, you used to take the time to cuddle me back in the day," he stretched his arms out to her.

"You were more adorable then," she said flatly.

Nikola dropped his hands with a giggle.

"What happened to being friends again, friends cuddle, we did," he grinned even more.

"Yes but you're not looking for a cuddle, what you're looking for is a spoonfest," she teased and he just chuckled.

"Aw come on Helen, you know you want to," he sing-songed childishly.

"Nikola, I'm busy!" she exclaimed.

"Five minutes and I bet you'll be recharged for the rest of the day, I'll bet money on it if I have to, five bucks," he challenged.

"If you are that desperate to cuddle someone go cuddle Steve," she teased.

"Well, I would, but Steve is not nearly as curvy as you are," Nikola joked back. "Come on, Helen, it's an easy five bucks, come into my arms!"

Helen rolled her eyes at his theatricality but let out a long sigh.

"Fine, but you keep your hands to yourself, and your tongue," she warned and he lifted his hand up in surrender.

"You got it, no hands, no tongue," he scooted on the couch to make room for her.

"And no nuzzling," she added.

"Well Helen if you take that it can hardly be counted as a cuddle," he grinned as she sat on the edge of the couch and swung her legs over, doing her best to keep her skirt from riding up, before resting herself in between his arms.

"There, are you happy?" she muttered.

"Immensely, well, as good as one can be without hands or tongue," he shrugged and Helen let out a small laugh.

"Can you see me?" she asked looking into his blue-grey eyes.

"Faintly," he said quietly, his eyes never leaving her.

She brought her hand up to caress his cheek and he slapped it.

"Ow! What was that for?" she cried.

"You said no hands, I have standard you hussy," he stated making Helen laugh again.

"I meant no hands in certain areas," she leered at him.

"Like here?" he brought his hand down to her knee and squeezed it lightly making her jump.

"Don't you dare," she warned menacingly.

"Well, what about here?" he poked her thigh and she reached to slap his hand away but she missed. "And here?"

Helen wriggled as he poked her sides and other ticklish areas, he knew where they all were and just how to use them to send her into a fit of giggles.

She squirmed and he trapped her in his arms, holding her close to him. She breathed deeply, trying to regain her composure.

"You are one step away from getting your ass-kicked," she whispered to him and he just grinned. His hand slid down her back and over her but where he squeezed lightly.

"One small step for man…" he teased and Helen glared at him.

"Don't push it," she warned.

"You know you have a very nice ass, I must say, for your age, no trace of cellulite at all, of course to know that for sure we'd have to have a better look," he joked and Helen smacked his hand.

"Shut up you jerk," she muttered, feeling like a teenager, and not like a Victorian era youngling, but like she had turned into a version of her 15 year old daughter, playing around with her first high school crush while her parents were out of the house. It made her feel slightly foolish and she felt her cheeks redden.

Despite everything though, she didn't want to leave his strong arms, and she made no action to do so. His face was so close she could feel the warmth of his breath on her cheek, she could feel the muscles in his arms holding her securely, she felt the faint thumping of his heart beneath his shirt.

In a moment she had found his lips with hers, her hands went creeping into his hair, she felt herself pressing closer and closer to him. This is how she had wanted to be kissed back when they were so young, so innocent to the ways of lust and needs and longing. She wanted Nikola to take her in his arms and kiss her breath away like in her mother's novels.

There was something so sweet in how he held her in this kiss. Though passionate and a long-time-coming, he didn't pervert it by reaching for buttons or buckles or zippers, his hands stayed securely wrapped around her, holding her as gently as one would hold a baby or a puppy, afraid she may shatter in his hands if he held too tightly. His lips didn't trail from hers to ravage her neck, or attempt to lick the cleavage peeking from her top, just continued to suck the air from her lungs.

Every move she expected him to make he kept at bay, yet she found it more breathtaking a kiss than she has had in a very long time.

The need for air overcame her desire to keep the kiss going and she pulled back, a large gasp escaping her lips as if she had just kept her head underwater.

She pressed her forehead against his as she regained her normal breathing pattern.

"Well…I wasn't expecting that," he breathed out.

"Don't you ever shut up," she said with a small laugh, she kissed him again, a small chaste kiss. He let out a small laugh as well, his grin spreading across his face.

"With your help I just might," he chuckled.

Helen captured him in another kiss, pulling him down on top of her, one of his legs coming over the couch to support himself, the other leg coming in between her thighs, her hands coming around to his back, bunching his shirt up, pulling it out of his trousers. She slid her palms under the hem of the shirt, feeling up his toned back.

"A little frisky aren't we?" he grinned, his lips leaving hers and going down to her throat then down to her clavicle. "By the way you owe me five bucks."

Helen laughed and brought her hand from under his shirt to bring his lips back to her, the heat in the room crawling all over and increasing.

"Magnus, I have requisition forms that need your sign of approval, so…" Will barged in and Helen jumped in surpise; her foot springing up to accidentally kick Nikola hard in the crotch sending him keeling over on to the floor.

Helen sprung up from the couch straightening herself up as best she could as Nikola whimpered on the floor.

"Will! I was just coming to see you," she said moving to drag him out of the office. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, I…were you two just…" he pointed at the couch.

"What? No! Just Nikola, lets leave him be I think he's tired, right Nikola you're tired!" she called to him.

"Agh!" was his pained response.

"Yes, let's let him rest…you mentioned something about requisition forms," she said hurriedly steering Will away, closing the door behind her.

Will just shook his head and grinned.

"I can come back later if I'm interrupting something," he said.

"No, nothing, just…" Helen stopped and put her head in her hands, "I'm acting like an adolescent am I?"

"I wasn't going to say anything," smirked Will.

"If you tell anyone Will, so help me…"

"Scouts honor," he grinned handing her the forms. "You might want to get him some ice."

He turned and walked away chuckling slightly.

Helen went down into the kitchen and pulled out a chilled bottle of wine she had hidden in the back of the fridge for a special occasion. It would do for now.

She took it back to her office, Nikola was still whimpering pathetically on the floor.

"Here, this should help," she handed him the bottle.

He rolled over and eyed the bottle.

"Ooh a rare vintage, I must've done something good," he smirked and Helen rolled her eyes.

"Just take it," she sighed grabbing his arm to pull him.

He winced as he stood up.

"I'll have you know, you have when awful steel toe," he groaned sitting on the couch. He took the wine bottle from him and debated for a moment whether to drink it or not. He eventually shrugged and popped the top taking a quick swig before placing the cold bottle in between his thighs where she had kicked him.

"Where would a girl be if she couldn't kick her assaillants in there nether regions," Helen smirked at him sitting next to him. "Are you okay?"

"You mean is everything still attached? Yes, remarkably," he said reaching for his empty wine glass on the table.

"That was very close," she said rubbing her temples.

"What the protégé walking in, or before that?" asked Nikola with a grin.

"Both," she muttered.

"Aww, I had fun," he chuckled, "Its all fun and games before someone gets kicked in the hoolios."

"I shouldn't have taken you up on your silly bet," she groaned.

Nikola took the bottle from his crotch and poured its contents into the empty wine glass, then returned the bottle to its previous location.

"But then you wouldn't have kissed me," he smirked.

"How's your eyesight?" she asked.

"Actually I think it's improved, right before you came back I saw stars," he joked.

"I'm serious," she frowned at him.

"It's like looking's through squinted eyelids, I see stuff through a veil," he muttered. "Unless they're up close."

He grinned once more and Helen smirked back this time.

"Why did you kiss me?" he asked, very seriously.

"It seemed like the thing to do," she said, her tone even.

"Would you do it again?" he asked very quietly.

"If your crotch promises not to get in the way," she teased but leant in and catched his lips in a soft, sweet kiss.

"Don't worry, I don't think it's going anywhere for awhile," he smirked.

Helen brought her hands to the sides of his face, bringing his face to hers to kiss him again.

"This is fun, we should've done this years ago," he smirked. "Why are we doing this?"

Helen pecked his cheek.

"Because you've been a good boy," Helen said cryptically.

"That makes no sense, chicks digs bad boys," Nikola joked.

"Ok, because I missed my best friend," she ran a hand through his dark spikes.

"That could work for now," he shrugged.

He gave her a quick kiss before she got up and headed back to her desk.

"It's amazing what a five dollar bet can do," he laughed and Helen tossed her stapler at him, hitting him in the arm.

"Ow!" he whined. "Wonder what a ten dollar bet will get me."

Helen grabbed her gun from the drawer and pointed it at the bottle between his legs.

"Want to find out?" she asked.

"No…I'm fine," he shifted his body away from her.

"Good boy," she said condescendingly putting her gun away.

"Um…can I…can I come back tomorrow?" he asked quietly.

Helen looked up, feeling her cheeks and the tips of her ears turn red.

"Well, I…" she hesitated, wondering how to answer so honest a question. "…Yes, I would like that."

She saw him smile, a genuine smile, she hadn't seen one of those in a long time.

"Well then, I best be off," he stood up and placed the bottle on her desk. "You should keep this, I have a feeling you might need it later."

He semi-limped his way out of the office, closing the door.

Helen couldn't stop the feeling of excitement fluttering inside her at the thought of Nikola coming back tomorrow, so much so that the thought of doing work flew out the door with him.

Nikola rushed himself into Will's office, not even bothering to knock just slamming the door behind him, pressing his back against the oak.

"And a hello to you too, Tesla," said Will surprised by his sudden visitor.

"Oh this is not good," whimpered Nikola.

"What's happened?" Will got up, concern washing over him.

"It can't be, it's unthinkable!" he muttered.

"What?" asked Will.

"I'm in love with her again!" Nikola whimpered, "And what's worse she may feel something back."

"What? Magnus?" asked Will.

"No, the mermaid!" huffed Nikola.

"This is why you're upset, because the woman you have always wanted may want you back? Shouldn't you be leaping up in the air with joy?" Will looked at his recent patient with confusion.

"What if she doesn't? What if she remembers? What if she only loves me because I'm blind!" he started hyperventilating.

"Did you turn into a crushing teenager overnight? It's Magnus, Magnus doesn't just kiss anybody!" exclaimed Will.

"You're right! It's Magnus! You could love a dozen women and not know one like her, and believe me, I tried!" Nikola pathetically slumped over to the couch and face-planted.

"Tesla, what are you scared of?" Will looked down at the man.

"I was in love with her once and I wasn't good enough!" he sprung up glaring at Will. "It nearly destroyed me!"

He grabbed Will by the front of his shirt.

"Do you know what it feels like to be in love with someone, who would never love you back! Do you know what it's like to watch her have every happiness she ever wanted and not to have it with you!" Nikola let go and sat down on the couch heavily. "I can't go through it again, not if it's just a game."

"What are you thinking Nikola?" Will asked.

"I have to go, get away before I hurt anyone, get away before it's too late and I'm in again!" Nikola got up and pushed past Will to the door. Will grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Wait Nikola! You can't just leave, especially when you don't know it from Helen's point of view," he said holding the man steady. "Just stay here a little while longer, I'm sure you will be surprised."

Nikola let out a long breath.

"Fine."

He walked out just as quickly as he had come in.

Will had the feeling her had stumbled upon something very complicated.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – Real World

Helen heard a knock at her office door.

Who in her staff knocked? She checked the time on her watch, nearly nine. Who in her staff was working at nine?

"Come in," she finally said.

The door opened slowly, and Nikola quietly walked in.

"Nikola," she smiled at him.

"Excuse me, Helen, but I couldn't wait for tomorrow to come see you," he said quietly.

Helen eyed him carefully.

"Alright," she stood up from behind her desk to come up to him. "Is there something wrong?"

He came up to her and kissed her, tender and soft. Helen responded just as gently.

"Is this a prelude for the evening?" she asked.

He let out a nervous laugh.

"Uh," he looked at her quite lost.

"Nikola?" she caressed his cheek.

"Helen…I need to know…" he whispered.

"Need to know what?" she asked calmly.

"I can't go through this again, Helen, I need to know this isn't just a new level to this game we've been playing…I need to know what this is," he said sincerely.

Helen twiddled his hair in her fingers.

"Do you love me?" she asked.

"More than anything," he whispered as if the words were so fragile they might shatter if said too loudly.

"Me too," she whispered back.

Nikola barely took a moment before he crashed his lips to hers, his arms wrapping around her waist. There was a certain hunger in this kiss, the need to be close as he could to her. Helen responded back just as needy, her hands fisting the material on his back.

Nikola broke the kiss, taking in a long deep breath, looking at the door.

Helen nodded, knowing his inquiry without having to use words.

She untangled herself from him and moved over to the office door, locking it.

Nikola went to the large windows and pulled down the blinds, his eyes never leaving hers.

As soon as the last blind went down they collided again, lips, teeth, limbs and hearts. All in one big flurry of passion. The fire crackled behind them, heating the already steamy room.

Seconds ticked into minutes then turned into hours, the moon softly shifting above them, the rain following as gently and timid as a thousand tiny people tip-toeing above them.

All Nikola heard was her and him, and them, his eyes refusing to close in case in a moment he would wake up back in darkness.

_**~~~~Elsewhere~~~~**_

Will sat in his office, his chin rested in his hand.

"Hey Will, me and Hank have the Xbox set up in the media room, Left 4 Dead!" Kate taunted. "Hey Will, are you ok?"

He looked at her.

"No, I think I've stumbled across something I'm not qualified to solve," he muttered.

"What?"

"Tesla, the guy is like a rubik's cube, so many different sides, so many twists and turns, he's a complex puzzle, he needs someone who has been doing it for years, someone who is trained to understand the mind," Will sighed.

"Look, he's been living a long time, sometimes there is just too much in there to deal with," shrugged Kate.

"I mean we've been in sessions for almost a week, I've learned things that would baffle most historians! Yet I can't get him, I can't figure out how his brain works, I'd have to go back in time to do that," Will sighed.

"Will, maybe you're trying too hard, maybe the answer to Nikola's problems are simple but you are looking for some dark piece of his past to surface that will solve all his problems, come on, take a break, the man won't have an emotional meltdown while you're gone."

"You're right, I need to take a step back," Will sighed and stood up letting Kate drag him to the media room.

_**~~~~Helen's Office~~~~**_

Helen's bare back was pressed up against Nikola's chest as they cuddled on the sofa, the warmth from their bodies making her drowsy.

Nikola had a blanket draped over them and the wine bottle from earlier sitting on the table.

He leaned over and poured into the single glass, taking a sip from it, then leaning his head down to kiss her neck.

"Mmm," she sighed stealing the glass from her hand and taking a sip of her own.

"I told you that you were going to need the bottle later," said Nikola softly.

His arm was draped over her pale bare stomach.

"We didn't need it, it's just a nice commodity," she teased as she snuggled in closer to him.

"Semantics, my love," he chuckled.

Helen kissed him languidly, choosing to ignore his cheekiness.

"How did we get to this point?" he asked looking into her eyes.

"Well, we started by the desk then as I recall…" he pinched her slightly stopping her.

"You know what I mean!" he teased. "I mean how did we get from being just friends to…well…this?"

"A lot has happened to us over the years, Nikola, but there was a time when you were my best friend…and I wanted you more than any man alive," she reached her hand to rest on his shoulder. "It just took me awhile to remember it."

He looked away sadly for a second.

"I never wanted anyone more," he looked back at her.

"I know," she said kissing him again.

Nikola's ears were suddenly filled with screaming and he closed his eyes as a pain grew in his head.

"Nikola, what's wrong?"

Suddenly it all stopped and he opened his eyes in a gasp.

"Uh…I…nothing," he sat up, scrubbing a hand over his face. "I should go."

"Why?" Helen sat up too.

"Well we can't stay in your office forever," he grinned finding his clothes and pulling them on.

"Not even for a little longer," she gave him puppy dog eyes.

"Aren't our roles supposed to be reversed?" he chuckled.

"Come on, I'm not done cuddling," she took his hand and pulled him back on top of her.

"Don't you usually have work?" he chuckled kissing her back.

She wrapped her hands around him and rolled them of the couch.

Nikola landed hard on his back, her felt the mud suck and splurge underneath him, the heat of the fires from the burning huts surrounding, filling his nostrils with smoke. His eyes were wide open, staring wide-eyed as the terror around him flew by.

He heard women and children crying, choking, the sounds of men dying, bullets, flames, and swords.

He blinked.

"Helen?" he cried. "HELEN!"

He heard a woman's voice crying and he ran to it, she was in the forceful arms of a rebel, a victim to his brutality. Nikola grabbed the nearest object on hand and smashed it over his head, allowing the woman to get away.

The fiend recovered quickly and unsheathed his knife, aiming for Nikola's jugular.

Nikola fought back as best he could, dodging the man's blade.

A fist stopped him and he fell to the ground.

"Break his legs!" muttered the one he had attacked.

The new one brought his dark boot swinging into Nikola's skull.

Nikola sprung awake screaming.

His eyes wide open.

"Nikola, it's alright, it's alright, you're at the Sanctuary now," said Helen.

"W-what?" he looked around.

"The rebels attacked the summit Nikola, everyone is dead, I'm sorry," Helen looked at him.

"No, no, no, I went through this already, this is a dream!" he shouted.

"Nikola, you've been unconscious for 3 weeks, rapid eye movement has been consistent, I'm sorry this is the real world," said Helen gently.

"But you and I…we…this can't be right!" he shouted.

"Nikola you are suffering from a mild panic attack," calmed Helen.

"I AM NOT SUFFERING FROM ANYTHING! THIS IS A DREAM!"

"No, it's not, please Nikola, let me help you," said Helen taking his arm lightly.

"NO! HELEN! WAKE ME UP!" he yelled ripping the IV's out of his veins. "This isn't real, this isn't real!"

Nikola got out of the infirmary bed running wildly away from this nightmare until he reached a solid wall.

The blood spurted from where the line had been and he looked at the streams of red running down his arms and sobbed.

"Nikola, you're not dreaming, you're awake…you're awake," she ran to him pulling him in her arms. "I'm sorry Nikola."

He wept and sobbed in her arms, uncontrollably.

He felt a small pinch in his arm.

"I'm sorry, Nikola."

He felt his world slip away into the realm of the unconscious.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – Anything and Everything

Nikola wavered in and out of consciousness. He heard strange sounds as the world came into color then went black.

Beep! "Nikola…suffering from severe post-traumatic-stress-dis…" Beep! "…elevated heartbeat…" Beep! "Nikola!"

He looked up and saw Helen's face looking down at him.

Beep!

"Nikola, are you all right?" she looked up at his monitor and IV double-checking the lines and stats.

He lifted his head slightly and noticed his arms and legs were restrained to the infirmary bed.

"N-not a dream…" he mumbled drowsily, lowering his head back down on to the pillow.

"I'm afraid not, this is all very real Nikola, we had to restrain you so that you couldn't rip out your IV again," she gestured to the strong straps around his wrist.

"I…can see…" he coughed, rather surprised.

"Yes, you were temporarily blinded by the radiation when we found you, we've been monitoring you the whole three weeks you've been out," she said taking out her penlight and flashing it into one of his eyes.

He winced at the sudden onslaught of light.

He groaned and moved his face away from the light, stubborn like a child.

"I don't understand," he said pushing her penlight away.

"It was temporary, it healed," Helen smiled at her friend with a little tease.

"Not that, I mean before, I was already awake, you and I, we were together…it was all so real," he looked at her with honest confusion.

"Nikola, you've been unconscious the whole time, you freaked when we found you then you went unconscious as we drove away, you woke up just yesterday…three weeks later," she said calmly. "Everything before that was a dream Nikola, a very vivid dream."

"R-really?" he looked at her, the confusion in his eyes turning slowly into disheartenment.

"Yes," she said sincerely.

He closed his eyes, turning his head away.

"It's not fair," he whimpered, his bottom lip quivering, and he inhaled sharply. "It's just not fair."

"Nikola," Helen put her hand on his shoulder but he shook it off.

"Stop it! Just…go, please," he shifted as far away from her has his restraints would let him.

"Nikola, I would like for you and Will to talk, just for a little while," Helen said softly.

"No! I don't want to see him!" barked Nikola, his face still turned from her.

"Nikola, he can help," she started.

"No he can't! No one can help me!" snapped Nikola.

"We can, Nikola," she reached again for her and he shrugged her off almost violently.

"No! Because if you could then I would still be dreaming! Why did you wake me? Why couldn't you have left me there! I was happy there!" he shouted at her, looking at her with bloodshot eyes.

"Are you saying you wish you were dead?" she looked at him rather shocked.

"If it means going back to that world then yes! Let me go back, Helen! Stop killing me like this!" he broke out into a sob, turning away from her again. "I can't believe that this is real! I just can't! Now please, leave me!"

Helen looked down sadly then nodded her head.

"As you wish," she walked out, letting him sob to himself.

"He's not right in the head, Magnus," said Will as she came out of the isolation room.

"I know that," she said, not keeping eye contact.

"It means, don't listen to him, he's traumatized!" said Will.

"You look into those eyes and tell me that you don't think for one second he's telling the truth! He wishes he was dead, William, Nikola!" she sighed sitting down.

"He's not himself, who knows what that kind of trauma does to the mind! You said Nikola went a little off the deep end in the early 20th Century, heck it's recorded history! He talked to pigeons, he talked to the ghost of his brother, he claimed he had spoken to people from Mars; his mind was already fragile!" said Will.

"The aliens were a ploy to cover up one of his other schemes, and he was believed to have talked to his brother but it was never proven nor did he ever claim to, and the pigeons was no different than a person talking to a beloved pet," defended Helen.

"In all your century and a half of knowing each other you never once believed he was crazy?" he asked.

"Of course I did, but this is different, he's not crazy…he's…I don't even know what he is…it's all so confusing," she sighed.

"Look, give him some cool down time, I'll go in, maybe I can get something from him, get down to the bottom of it so to speak," Will said, coming up to Helen.

"I don't know, he clearly doesn't want to see you, he doesn't want to see anybody in fact," Helen scrubbed a hand over her face.

"Not right now, give him a while, he'll come around," Will smiled and left leaving Helen to stare through the observation window.

"I'm not so sure of that," she muttered.

_**~~~~January 7 1963~~~~**_

Nikola lay on the floor of his apartment.

It was cold, colder than usual.

He counted the seconds as he lay on the floor, a chill of familiarity running through him.

20 years to the day he'd been dead. The great Nikola Tesla. Dead to the world, dead on the floor, dead of a heart attack at the age of 86, a pathetic age really, lesser men have lived longer. Everything he owned, all his inventions, schematics, blueprints, ideas, stories, pictures, all of it gone.

Everything he was…gone.

He thought, maybe if he closed his eyes it would all come flooding back; he would wake up back in the New Yorker, back with his pigeons and his routine. Or maybe he would go all the way back to Oxford, before The Five, his arms wrapped around a certain blonde. Maybe he'd get the second chance to get what he has always wanted.

He opened his eyes…he was still in the same century he had found himself miserably trying to escape from.

"Nick!" he heard a voice coming from outside his room. "Nikki!"

The door opened and a young red head came in, wine bottle in hand, pack of cigarettes in the other.

"There you are, I've been waiting for you," she grinned cheekily before lowering herself on top of him, she placed the wine bottle on the floor and tossed the cigarettes off to the side before lowering her lips to his in a soft, tender kiss.

"Kendra, you sly minx," he chuckled. "Still offering free love I see."

"Only to you, Nicholas Hart," she drawled with a sexy grin.

"You are a dirty little Irish lass aren't you?" he grinned.

"Well, my parents are originally from Philly, but if you want me to be Irish, I can be," she smirked and kissed him again.

"I don't get your infatuation with me, Kendra, you're a beautiful girl, why not find a husband, buy a bus and go make free love on the road like everyone else," he chuckled.

"Only if you're offering," she laughed and kissed his neck.

"May I ask your intentions for this visit before you suck my face off?" he sighed.

"As I said, I was looking for you, I haven't seen you around, I missed your impeccably dressed buttocks," she grinned unbuttoning his grey vest.

"Well that is understandable, but today is not a good day," he sighed.

"Everyday is a good day if you're living," she licked his ear and he let out a chuckle.

Ironic…was all he thought.

"No seriously, come back tomorrow, tomorrow would be better," he sighed.

"And pass up this chance, never! You may not be on the floor tomorrow, I got you right where I want you, Mister," she pulled the tails of his shirt out of his trousers and slid her hand up his smooth torso.

"I really just want to be alone, despite how tempting it may be," he said honestly.

"What's so special about today? Did someone close to you die or something?" she asked.

"Yes," he said flatly.

"You serious, Nikki?" she stopped looking at him.

"No, of course not…today is just an anniversary of sorts, it's a day I'd rather spend alone," he said quietly and Kendra sat up.

"Now surely, Nick, let me stay and celebrate with ya, I brought wine and some cheap cigarettes, we'll turn on the radio and drown out the neighbors," she smiled.

"Anything but the radio," he winced.

"Alright, we'll just turn on ourselves, what do you say? Nothing like a night of wine and women to really make an anniversary," she straddled him, tugging at this shirt.

"Ooh what year?" he queried, looking at the bottle.

"Oh don't worry, it's new, a buddy of mine in California makes it himself, it goes down a little like moonshine but it really makes a party," she grabbed the bottle and showed him the label.

"Oh dear Kendra, you're taste in wine really is atrocious," he sighed.

"My friends like it!" she shrugged and popped the top. She took a generous swig from the bottle and grinned offering it to him.

He took a sip and gagged.

"Ugh! It's poisoned!" he coughed.

"Oh you're so nitpicky! It makes you so adorable!" she leaned down and kissed him again, sliding her hands through his spiky hair.

"Wow, you are easy if you find that adorable," he chuckled, still not moving to touch or hold her, his arms stayed frozen at his sides.

"Not easy, I just know what I want, and I want you Mr. Hart," she unbuttoned his shirt slowly. "I can help you forget for an hour or two."

Nikola sighed at the persistent woman.

"Will it appease you long enough that you can leave me in peace?" he said.

"Depends how good you are?" she chuckled.

"Well I've definitely ruined more than a few women's lives," he shrugged.

"How so?" she bit his bottom lip.

"Well…let's just say they couldn't go back to their husbands," he joked.

"Well whose the sly minx now?" she teased.

"I'm pretty sure it's still you," he grabbed her by the waist and spun them around so he was on top.

"My you're a tricky devil, Mr. Hart," she chuckled.

"Please call me Nick, Mr. Hart makes me sound so old," he groaned.

"Alright, Nick," she drawled and reached for his suspenders pulling them down over his arms, reaching for his trousers.

They tangled for a good hour, moving from the floor, to the wall, to the bed, and then a small little accident winding them back on the floor again, a mass of limbs and red hair.

Nikola rolled over his bareback on the cold floor, his sweat slicked hair sticking to his forehead.

He blinked and the night air chilled his heated skin; the candles, the spilt wine, the sheets, the girl; all gone.

Just him lying in the middle of his apartment floor; fully clothed and breathing heavy, his only companion the constant silence that followed him, like a memory, a taunting, hateful memory.

A single tear rolled down his cheek.

"This isn't real."

Nikola sprung awake

He was back in the infirmary in the Sanctuary, it was dark except for a few dim lights from the blinking monitors.

His restraints were gone.

Nikola stood up off the infirmary bed, his feet touching the cold floor.

"Oh Niko, when will you ever stop trying?" came a voice behind him, he spun around to come face to face with Helen, his ever-smiling, white-robed Helen.

"When will you stop messing with my mind?" he barked.

"You're not crazy, Niko," she said. "You can't believe anything you see or hear."

"What does that mean, what does any of this mean?" he exclaimed.

"It doesn't mean anything, you have to remember what's important, you have to remember me, remember what I look like, tell me what do I look like?" she grabbed the sides of his head.

"What do you mean? You're standing right in front of me, you look the same!" he shouted.

"Remember the first day you met me, remember what I looked like, every detail, don't let one thing go, remember what I wore, how I smelt, the way my hand looked, the way my hair curled, you have to remember, it's the only way I can save you!" she kissed him passionately, he responded quickly, not daring to shut his eyes on her. "If you ever loved me, promise me you'll remember."

Nikola nodded.

"I have always loved you, Helen," he looked into her blue eyes.

"Then remember," she kissed him again, disappearing just as quickly as she had appeared.

"Wait! What does it mean! HELEN!"

An explosion came behind him knocking him off his feet and into the mud.

"Helen!" he coughed, slightly winded.

Nikola stood up, staggering slightly before he kept moving.

"Helen!" he ran, looking at all the dead faces.

"Mon-Tesla! S-save us!" Nikola turned around; he saw the source of the voice, lying in the blood-soaked valley.

"Mon-Bukuu…" he came up to the elderly man. "I-I can't…you're already dead! All of these people are already dead! Why do they keep dying over and over?"

"You can't believe anything you see or hear, Mon-Tesla," gasped the man before breathing his last.

"What?" Nikola cried. "No! Don't die on me! Tell me what this is! Wake me up! I can't save you if you can't help me! Wake me up!"

Nikola awoke, back into the lights of the infirmary, an oxygen mask over his face and two pale hands on his chest.

"Finally Nikola!" cried Helen.

She stopped compressing his chest and climbed off the infirmary bed.

Nikola removed the pesky mask.

"What happened?" he gasped.

"You went into cardiac arrest, Nikola, almost suddenly, you've been in B-Fib for nearly 8 minutes," Helen sighed placing her hand on his chest.

"Is this a dream?" he looked around wide eyed and confused.

"No, Nikola, this is real," she stroked his hair.

"I can't tell," he coughed and she leant down and kissed him softly.

"Does that bring back any memories?" she smirked.

"Some, I don't know if they're real," he muttered.

"They were real," she kissed his cheek. "Luckily you had yourself half-dressed before you started feeling sick, we got you to the infirmary just in time before the attack."

"Half-dressed?" he mumbled.

Helen scooted back onto the bed, half on top of him.

She rested her head on his shoulder.

"In future respects we should be more careful next time, especially with your heart," she joked and kissed his chin.

"So it was all a dream," he sighed in relief.

"Nikola, remember when I told you I would let you know whether it was a dream or not?"

"Yes."

"It's not, I'm here, I'm really here, and I love you," she looked at him sincerely.

"But I can see you, completely," he said. Helen's eyes widened.

"What? You're sight is restored?" she took out her penlight and shone it in his face.

"Well it was," he winced.

"Hmm, maybe something happened to you at the summit, something that's healing you like this," she caressed his cheek. "We'll do some tests in the morning, for now I think you've had quite enough excitement for one day."

She kissed him tenderly and moved to leave.

"No stay," he said holding on to her desperately.

"Do you want me to stay?" she asked.

"Yes, very much," he brought his lips to hers in a soft kiss.

"Then I will," she pulled up the blanket and snuggled up to him, returning her head to his shoulder.

"I love you," he said quietly as she drifted off to sleep.

Something didn't feel right, nothing felt right anymore.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 – Finding Reality

It had been at least 13 hours since Nikola had woken up, 5 since he had been released from the infirmary, and just over 2 since a thought struck him, one he had to act on.

Nikola walked into Will's office, his usual demeanor not with him. He wordlessly came in and sat on the couch. His eyes never left Will's head.

Will looked up and jumped slightly, not hearing the stealthy man come in.

"Oh Tesla, I didn't hear you," sighed Will, putting down the report he was reading through. "How are things?"

"It's funny how dreams feel so realistic until you wake up," Nikola said, not even acknowledging Will's question.

"What do you mean?" asked Will.

"When you're dreaming it feels like real life, but when you wake up you realize all it's faults and you wonder how it felt so realistic in the first place," Nikola finally broke his intense gaze and turned away.

"That's a proven fact, are you saying your dreams feel realistic?" Will started to feel a slight unease.

"I'm saying…this is still a dream isn't it, I'm not really sitting here…in your office, I'm still in Africa, on that bloody summit…all alone!" Nikola scrubbed a hand over his face.

"What are you talking about?" Will stood up from his desk, all the more unnerved.

"You're a figment of my imagination, you all are! This place is nothing but a hallucination! What I'm feeling is nothing more than a hallucination!" he pulled out a gun and aimed it at Will. "And because you are not real this won't hurt!"

"Whoa! Tesla! I'm real! Don't shoot!" Will raised his hands up in surrender.

"Tell me how to get back! Tell me how to stop this! I will not be played around like this anymore! I'm not safe, and Helen…Helen doesn't care for me…I'm still lost!" Nikola wiped a hand across his eyes.

"If I was a dream I wouldn't be afraid of the gun, Nikola, put it down!" shouted Will.

"Nikola!" Helen burst in. "What are you doing?"

"Don't try to stop me! I know this is all a dream! I've lost my mind, Helen!" sobbed Nikola. "I just want to find reality again, why do you make me go through this?"

"Nikola you need to rest," she started.

"No I do not need to rest because every time I do it changes and becomes even more confusing! I just want to wake up!" he shouted keeping the gun pointed at Will.

"You are awake! Don't you realize?" pleaded Helen.

"NO! Stop lying to me! You're all lying to me!" Nikola felt a pain in his head and winced trying to ignore it.

"Nikola, please!" Helen begged.

"NO!" Nikola pulled the trigger the bullet landing squarely in Will's right shoulder.

Beep!

Will flew back and crumpled to the floor grasping his shoulder in pain.

Helen ran to him.

"He shot me!" cried Will.

Nikola dropped the gun, looking around him as if awoken from some trance.

"He shot me!" Will cried again.

"Medical team to Will's office!" Helen called on the intercom.

Nikola sat on the ground shell-shocked.

"It wasn't supposed to end up like this…" he muttered.

Helen kneeled in front of him.

"Nikola…" she said cautiously.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…I can't think straight anymore, nothing makes any sense, I just want this nightmare to end," Nikola whimpered, putting his head in his hands.

"Come with me," Helen took his shaking hand and led him out of the office just as Kate and Big Guy rushed in to help Will.

Helen took him past the rooms, weaving around the maze of corridors of the Sanctuary till they got to her personal quarters.

She led him in and shut the door behind her.

"I want you to stay here tonight," she said calmly, pulling his jacket off his shoulders.

"This is your room," he looked around.

"I know," she put his jacket neatly folded on to a chair. "I'm going to help you."

She took a long black scarf out of a drawer and came up to him.

"Do you trust me?" she looked straight into his eyes.

"Y-yes," he said quietly, feeling like a child.

She took the scarf and wrapped it around his eyes like a blindfold, throwing him back into darkness.

"What? What are you doing?" he said, a small panic rising in him.

"Helping you," she whispered into his ear before placing a small kiss on the corner of his jaw.

She took his hand and led him, once again; he followed her hesitantly, unsure of what was going to happen, almost fearing that it would be frightening and terrible…all his dreams were like that.

She stopped him and he heard running water…from a faucet…a bath?

He felt her hand let go of his and moved up his arm and over his shoulder and down to his chest where she unbuttoned his shirt, slowly and surely.

"Helen, what are you doing?" he sighed.

"Just relax," she continued with her task as she spoke.

"None of this makes sense, Helen, tell me why."

"Shhh," he felt her finger on his lips. "Don't speak."

He was effectively silenced.

She pushed his shirt off his shoulders, placing a kiss on the right blade, causing him to shiver slightly.

Her hands slid down his bare chest, the sensation left goosebumps all over him.

Helen didn't say a word as she placed small kisses on his collarbone and shoulders. He felt her fingers open the belt buckle on his waist, his trousers falling lifelessly to the floor, leaving him in just his briefs.

In that moment he felt Helen's warmth leave him and the sound of rushing water ceased. He deduced she had finished filling the tub, obviously her method of relaxation was either sex in water or sensory deprivation, he couldn't quite tell which one to be honest.

Her hand caught his and tugged him over to the edge of her massive tub.

"Get in," she said.

"Like this?" he gestured to his briefs.

"Yes," she was very calm.

"Alright," he felt for the edge and stepped into the very warm water. "You're not going to drown me, are you?"

Helen let out a small laugh.

"Of course not," he heard rustling from her direction and he wished he could see what she was up to.

"Are you going to pour bubble bath in here?" he grinned slightly.

"No," she said flatly.

"Burn incense? Oh, how about those bath perfumes that smell like popuri? Are you going to wash my hair?" he joked and she laughed.

"No, none of that, now stop speaking," she sounded closer to him.

The water shifted as she stepped into the tub with him, her body lowering on top of his. His hands went up instinctively and came in contact with her very bare thighs. From what he could tell there wasn't a stitch on her.

"Oh god," he gulped, his breath hitching in his throat.

"Just relax," she kissed him languidly and he did the exact opposite. Every muscle in his body tensed.

The words were knocked right out of him as she kissed him. He pulled away.

"Helen, stop," he said, his hands coming to her shoulders. Oh, how he loved the feel of her skin.

"Why?" she sounded disheartened.

"Because I can't live knowing that I will wake up and none of this will have happened, it's so hard," he whimpered.

"You still think this is a dream?" she asked, her voice becoming even more saddened.

"I don't know what to think right now, everything is so twisted, and even if this is real, how do I know you are?" he bit his lip.

"You're really scared aren't you?" she ran a hand through his hair.

"More than ever…what if I never wake up and this just becomes a cycle of this dream to the next then on to the next, I can't do it, I can't have you loving me one moment then rejecting me the next," he kept his hand on her shoulder, feeling her skin, trying to remember what it feels like.

"Then when that dream comes know that I am just down the cycle waiting for you," she rested her head on his chest, kissing the skin lightly.

"It's not that simple, Helen," he sighed.

"Why can't it be?" she lifted her head up and kissed his chin. "Why can't you let go for one minute?"

"Because if I let go I may never come back," he whimpered again and Helen stopped him before he broke into another fit of sobs by crushing her lips to his in a soul searing combination of water and tongue and passion.

"Remember me, Nikola," she whispered as he sunk under the water.

Beep!

The blindfold was gone and he opened his eyes under the water. Helen was gone, the Sanctuary was gone. He panicked seeing no exit, so surface to break through to for air, yet he wasn't fighting for air. He had an oxygen mask secured to his face, feeding him air. Tubes and lines came from his arms and legs and out through the glass casing he found himself in. There were people buzzing around him. A bright light shined into his eyes and he winced looking away from it.

A single ominous sound resounded in his ears.

Beep!

"Helen!" he thought over and over, calling for her even though he couldn't form words.

His arms thrashed pulling the tubes from his veins his hand coming against the glass wall and beating against it.

"He's awake!" he heard faintly over the water.

"Get him under again!"

Nikola thrashed and then like a flush of cold water in his system he tensed up then went limp and lifeless floating in the tank.

Nikola used his last ounce of strength to get his signal out.

S-O-S

…sound of silence…a phrase he knew all too well…

S-O-S

…that's all he heard, the sound of silence…

S-O-S

…_Helen…help me…_

Nikola opened his eyes.

He was looking up at the ceiling of his room in the Sanctuary.

That was it…that was reality…it had to be…it was the first thing in this hell that had felt truly real.

He had to find it, he had to find her; he had to break free of this cage.

He sat up.

"Helen! I know you're there! Help me!" he shouted.

He heard nothing in response.

"Helen! Come out here and help me!"

"You don't need my help, Niko," said Helen, appearing behind him in the blink of an eye.

He spin around to face her.

"Yes I do, you're the only thing that makes sense in this place, tell me, was I truly awake, or just another one of your dreams?" he looked at her hard.

"That was reality, you were so close, Nikola, you broke free of it, you just have to remember, remember what I told you, think of that and nothing else, it's the only way you can combat their tricks."

"They? Whose they?" he demanded.

"Your captors, think of nothing else, don't buy into their mind games, I'll find you Nikola…I'll find you."

She faded away once again and he felt the dream change this time, like a sudden burst of cold air on a summer's day.

"Here we go again," he growled as an explosion went off behind him.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 – Coming

_**~~~~Old City Sanctuary - Reality~~~~**_

Helen paced in her office. It had been almost 48 hours since she had lost contact with Nikola.

His plane had never made it to it's destination and Nikola never arrived at the summit in Africa; Helen had to send Kate and Big Guy down there by private charter to cover while she, Will, and Henry went on the search for the missing ex-vampire.

The whole situation had her unnerved, especially since Nikola wasn't the kind of person you really wanted to go missing. She had a sinking feeling it was an agency like the Cabal looking for revenge, or something equally as sinister. Every time a package was delivered to the Sanctuary on the last few days she had feared she would open it up and find a ransom note and one of Nikola's ears.

Of course it was just paranoia, but there were only so many people who would kidnap the obnoxious Serbian, even fewer who knew that he was the famed inventor. If he was kidnapped, it was for his brain, his large egocentric brain that came up with the most brilliantly frightening designs. In the wrong hands those designs could take down cities, destroy continents, slaughter a million in the blink of an eye. Plus, he was her friend, to a point, she did care for his well-being.

"Doc! Doc!" shouted Henry as he sprinted into the room, Will right behind him.

"What is it, Henry?" she stopped pacing to look at them.

"You won't believe what just started working!" said Henry excitedly.

"Henry, this is not the right time…" Helen started.

"No, Magnus, you are going to want to see this," interrupted Will, looking at her sincerely.

"Alright," she nodded, gesturing them to lead the way.

The two nearly bolted to the elevator, coaxing her to move quickly along behind them, she had never seen them so jumpy.

They got down into the catacombs, as Big Guy referred to her storage space for all her lifetime treasures. Immediately she heard a familiar clicking resounding and reverberating through the room.

"Is that?" she asked and the two nodded.

"We were going through the halls when we heard it, we came down to see what it was and sure enough," said Will.

The three of them weaved through the shelves and tables of artifacts coming to the one thing covered in a sheet slowly and methodically jerking up and down.

Helen pulled the sheet off the device.

"Nikola, you always did have your tricks," she smiled as she watched the autotype.

"The signal's not as strong as it was when he was in Columbia, I suspect because he probably doesn't have the same level of concentration as he did before, but I doubt he's in a cave in rural South Africa," shrugged Henry.

"Can you track it?" she asked, a hope fluttering in her chest.

"Already on it, it may not be completely accurate, the signal is very weak, but we'll have a general idea of his location," said Henry pulling out his tablet.

"Good work Henry," Helen nodded before turning to leave, she wanted to be ready the moment they had his location.

"Magnus, hey wait up!" called Will after her, running to fall into step beside her. "I've noticed how unusually uneasy you've been lately."

Helen sighed.

"It's Tesla, and he's been kidnapped, it's generally not a good thing," said Helen.

"Yah, but it's more than that, you seem…worried...about him," said Will cautiously.

"Nikola is my friend, despite him being an ass, I do care for him and his safety, especially went it could very well be one of his ploys, as you always say, he has the tendency to form hidden agenda's, despite his recent good behavior," she got to the elevator and pressed the button.

"So you're also concerned he may have planned it all?" asked Will.

"He not incapable of it, he's done worse," shrugged Helen.

Will eyed her a bit weirdly before shrugging it off as well.

"I guess we're just going to have to trust him, aren't we?" he said.

"I'd like to believe his time here with us hasn't been for naught," she looked directly at the doors of the elevator, not making eye contact with Will.

Will decided not to get into her odd behavior and silently walked into the elevator car beside her.

_**~~~~Mexico, 2004~~~~**_

"Talk you insolent pig!" the man brought his fist hard into Nikola's jaw, making him spit up blood.

"Make me, Don Juan!" he spat, he felt blood dribble down his chin.

"Why are you so stubborn, dog!" growled the Mexican.

"Because you can't kill me! You're a product of my imagination, very vivid, but empty none the less, punch me all you want, see if I care!" Nikola laughed at the man.

"How dare you taunt the great El Miro!" he punched Nikola hard in the face.

"You're a joke! El Miro? Is that even Mexican? I don't know! Probably not! I think this is the plot from some cheesy soap opera, I was never captured in Mexico and beaten up by a sombrero wearing, poncho sporting cultural stereotype like you, so this is obviously not a memory!" Nikola laughed some more.

"I've heard enough! Break his legs!" shouted El Miro before turning and leaving.

Nikola stopped laughing as then mans goons surrounded him.

"Just try," he bit challengingly.

One lifted up a sledgehammer and brought it down hard on Nikolas knee, followed by a loud crack and a flood of pain that Nikola felt roaring up to his lips leaving in a shrill scream.

A moment later the method was repeated leaving Nikola with welling tears in his eyes.

"You bastards!" he cried and they left with a disgusting cackle.

Nikola groaned in frustration and pain.

"If this is a dream why can't I control any of it! You heard me! Answer me!" he shouted.

His Helen appeared just behind him, he felt his peripheral vision change.

"I don't understand this, why do you put me through this?" he asked, not turning his head to look at her.

"It's not me, Nikola, you saw whose doing this to you, I'm just trying to help you," she said turning and kneeling in his line of vision.

"Then help me," he whimpered.

"It's not that simple, Nikola, the drugs they are giving you are affecting you, they're confusing you, the more you give in to them the more they gain, you have to think about what I told you, think about what I looked like back when we first met, it's the only way!"

She placed her hand on his knee and in an instant the broken bones were mended and the pain ceased.

Nikola sighed in relief.

"Please, stay," he placed his hand over hers.

She leant up and kissed him, she always kissed him, just to torture him. He kissed back hoping to keep her from disappearing too soon.

She let him.

He thought about her, the first day they met, long blonde curly hair, with one curl he especially loved, it curled more than the others, right by her chin, he always played with it when the two of them were alone together. He so loved her blonde hair, she had been such a beautiful young woman, so innocent and kind and lovely. She wore Victorian era dresses, with masses and masses of petticoats, her bosom just peaked out the top of the blue one she had worn that first day. Her eyes, unchanging and beautiful, bright, blue, and sparkling; they were the first thing he noticed; first thing he saw when he turned to face her. My, he was in love with her from the first moment, he just hadn't realized it, and it hurt, it hurt so much that she had chosen someone else over him. He opened his eyes and Helen pulled away.

"I love you, Helen, I always have," he confessed to her.

"Keep telling yourself that darling," she grinned, giving him one last peck on the cheek.

He closed his eyes again, not wanting to see her leave again.

S-O-S

He thought of her again, imagining every fine, and beautiful detail he could remember.

S-O-S

He opened his eyes and he was underwater.

Beep! Beep!

A flash of light blinded his eyes and he slammed his fist to the glass walls of the tank.

"Get him under!" shouted a voice.

"How can he do this? He's not supposed to do this!" shouted another voice.

"He's Nikola Tesla, who knows what he's capable of!" shouted the first voice.

"He's going to break the tank!"

"Get him under!"

Beep!

"Helen!" screamed his thoughts.

_**~~~~Old City Sanctuary~~~~**_

Henry ran into Helen's office, gasping for air, he had obviously ran from his lab downstairs.

"Doc!" he managed to get out.

Helen stood up expectantly, as well as Kate and Will who were sitting on the couch.

"I've got him!" he shouted triumphantly.

"Where is he?" asked Helen.

"He's right here in New City!" Henry handed her his tablet. "About five minutes ago his signal spiked and I was able to get an accurate location, he's calling for us."

"That's my Nikola," she grinned.

"Magnus?" asked Will, knowingly.

"We head out immediately!" she ordered and the three of them booked it out of her office to grab their gear.

She kept looking at the reading.

"I'm coming for you, Niko, I'm coming," she muttered silently to herself.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 – Fighting**

Helen sat in the driver's seat of the black sedan. Her eyes fixed on the building down the street. A large industrial building with smoke billowing out the top.

It looked rather foreboding to her. Something horrible was going on in there, she could feel it, and Nikola was the center of it all.

Like the world needed Nikola's ego to skyrocket any more.

She looked at her team.

"Are you sure that's it?" she asked Henry.

"Yah, that's it, the signal isn't as strong as it was but it's definitely coming from there," said Henry, showing Helen the reading again.

"Alright, Henry and Kate you take the far entrance, Will and I will take the front, stealth is key," she instructed, they all nodded in agreement. "Find Nikola and get him out."

Helen cocked her hand gun and stepped out of the vehicle on to the dusty pavement or the New City Warehouse District.

"The fact that there's still a signal must mean that Nikola is still alive," said Will, following after her.

"Or it's a trap, either way, I want us on alert, the moment you sense an ambush get yourself and Kate and Henry out, I'll keep looking for Nikola."

"No way," said Will.

"Don't argue with me! Just do as I say," she snapped.

"Magnus, what is it with you and Tesla?" he asked, tired of this game.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you guys act like you can't stand each other but as soon as one of you are in danger your willing to sacrifice everything without hesitation!" said Will.

"That's…" Helen paused, thinking about what he said. "…ridiculous, it's ridiculous!"

"No, it's not, I think despite whatever show you guys put on for each other you two really care for one another but you're both too stubborn to admit it!" accused Will.

"We've been friends for years, it's natural for us to care for each other on some level," Helen dismissed his argument.

"You know what I mean, Magnus, you want to jump his bones so much that you're scared to admit it, even to yourself!" Will pointed his finger at her.

"Really, William!" she admonished, trying to ignore him and look for a way inside the building that won't alert their presence.

"Why not? You always believe him, you always tolerate the stupid things he does, and you always smile when you think about him," Will pushed the issue.

"I don't see how my feelings toward that arrogant bullhead have anything to do with rescuing him from a dire situation, if we could please focus on the task at hand," Helen snapped.

"Fine, but you know I'm right," finished Will. "How about the fire escape, leads to a second floor window."

"That should work," said Helen, pulling down the old rusty ladder.

They climbed up the fire escape in silence, an uncomfortable, tense, silence.

It felt like hours when Will reached the second floor landing and Helen had already pried open the window using her pocket knife.

She checked for any booby traps, or wires, or ay mechanism that could alert the building to their break in, but it was clean. Helen stepped through and in, Will followed behind her, quite unsure of what they were about to face.

"Henry," Helen whispered into her walkie.

"Yah, Doc," came Henry's voice.

"We're in, how about you?" she asked.

"Yah, we're in, in what is the question," said Henry.

"Alright, contact me when you find Tesla," she said tucking her walkie back into its holder.

Will rolled his eyes but decided to keep his mouth shut for the moment.

Helen heard what sounded like a stream coming from the next room and she held her gun poised as she reached for the door handle.

Thick cables ran all across the floor, like large black snakes stalking their prey almost deftly. The cables, wires and tubes ran to a series of strange consoles in the room and from there they passed to the most shocking sight in the middle of the room.

A large water tank where most of the tubes fed in through, the water was a fluorescent blue, an unnatural blue, like it was filled with blue cool aid, or anti-freeze.

In this tank was none other than Nikola Tesla. An oxygen mask obscured his face and there were two metal prongs inserted into his temples and one inserted into the back near his hippocampus, these prongs connected to wires that headed straight into the main circuit board on the console. Other tubes were injected into his arms and legs like IVs and his hands and legs were restrained to metals bars inside the tank.

He looked like a guinea pig for genetic study; it made her sick.

Helen walked over to the tank and looked at him sadly.

"Oh Nikola," she muttered, "What have they done to you?"

She raised her hand and placed on the glass surface.

"I'm here Nikola, I'm going to get you out," she prayed that somehow he could hear her in there.

_**~~~~Somewhere in Nikola's Head~~~~**_

"_Nikola!" _a voice sing-songed across the wind in the desolate valley where he lay.

"Leave me alone!" he growled.

He lay curled up in the fetal position, his body bruised, cut, and beaten.

"_Nikola!"_

"No more!" he shouted back.

His Helen appeared and kneeled down beside him, her soothing hands running over his aching muscles.

"Your so close, my love, you can't give up now!" she said running a hand through his hair.

"Why can't I? I should've given up years ago!" he groaned not moving to look at her. "It hurts too much."

"You're frightened," she clarified.

"You're damn right I'm frightened! Every time I reach the surface I'm plunged back down here to some worse hell! I'm done fighting, Helen!" he shouted.

"You can't stop, if you stop, then they win!" she pulled him up to sitting.

"Then let them win! Maybe if I cooperate I can go back to that pleasant dream where you loved me and everything was fine!" she shifted away from her.

"It doesn't work like that!" she sighed.

"Why can't it? It's all your fault! I was happy there! It's better than this!" he shouted at the dark, burnt out valley he laid down in. "And what if I wake up, it's just another world of broken dreams and bitter disappointments! What am I fighting for? The slight off chance that you might rescue me and we can go back to hating each other with witty retorts and juvenile looks, NO!"

Helen looked down sadly.

"I should've given up a long time ago Helen, I only stayed on so long for you, but I'm tired, I'm sick and I'm tired of fighting for nothing!"

"Nikola…"

"NO!" he shouted at her, his face turning red with anger.

"You can't give up! Not now!" she cupped his face.

"If you're going to kiss me it's not going to work, your kisses are just as empty as your promises," he shrugged her hands away and she rebounded by grabbing him roughly by the collar.

"Now you listen to me, Nikola! I will not let you let your life slip away for such a pathetic reason! Now I am here! I am here, I am looking for you, I'm going to save you, you just have to hold on, just a bit longer!" she shouted slapping him hard across the cheek. "If you give up then there is no hope, do you understand that, Nikola!"

He bit his lip and started to tear up.

"But it's so hard," he whimpered.

"I know, and it's not going to get any easier unless you try," a small tear trickled down her cheek as well. "Now you get out there, and you face whatever comes next with that same arrogance that makes me love you so much, and you don't think about anything but me, and how much I love you."

"But it's not true…you're nothing but a dream," he looked at her sadly.

"Then think about the real Helen, if you give up she'll be alone, Nikola, you're one of the last remaining members of The Five, you're not just hope for yourself, you're hope for her too."

"O-ok," he sighed.

"I'll be waiting on the other side," she kissed him passionately before disappearing once again.

Nikola shuddered at the deafening silence.

He straightened himself up and smoothed down the front of his suit.

He felt so weak, even his own arrogance felt diminished. How could he spend eternity like this?

He inhaled deeply; instead of the smell of mud he smelt spring flowers, green grass, and a slight hint of lavender and vanilla. A delicate perfume he knew well, it's how she smelt, all the time back in Oxford. It was in her hair, on her skin, and amongst the many layers of petticoats she swayed around in. Even now she still kept that same sweet scent, he wondered if she had changed her shampoo in the last century, but he had never asked. Truth be told, he wanted to keep it a mystery, the mystery of her scent.

He opened his eyes and it was gone.

His heart sank.

He closed them again and inhaled deeply, the scent returning, he reveled in it, letting out a sigh, his face slightly ached from his mouth attempting to curl into a smile.

He could hear the birds, the rustle of leaves in the large willows that cascaded over the pond, the clear water splashing as a stone was skipped over it, then a laugh, a beautiful harmonious laugh that broke across time and space to touch his ears. He opened his eyes to the scenery, it was beautiful, just like he remembered it. Oxford Park. How he loved spending the summer and fall hours lounging under the bright blue sky with Helen, their noses in textbooks, his head resting on her lap as she absentmindedly stroked his hair with her fingers as she read some cheap Jane Austen novel with an amused giggle, or she would read poetry aloud to him and explain all the confusing words that he didn't fully understand.

He heard the laugh again and he turned around and saw her, just like he remembered…he also saw himself, younger, with that darned mustache that she would twiddle around in her fingers till he yelped in pain, then she would giggle and peck his cheek, apologizing for tugging to hard.

It was so crystal clear.

Nikola just watched them.

"How much do I love thee?" Helen read from the book of poetry in her hand.

"A lot," answered the past Nikola, his foreign accent rolling of fhis tongue with such arrogance.

She chuckled.

"Shhh," she shushed him. "Let me count the ways."

"Ooh there's more than one," he teased.

"Would you rather read this?" she yanked on a strand of hair and he squeaked slightly.

"No, go on," he said chuckling.

Nikola smiled weakly and collapsed to his knees out of sheer exhaustion, content just to watch this over and over.

His eyes felt misty, and his breathing labored. He had been fighting for way too long it seemed, but he still hadn't fought enough yet.

He blinked and the memory was gone. His younger self disappeared along with Helen, but he was still in the park. The trees were still there. Nikola's heart sank once again.

"Excuse me sir, but is taking to pigeons one of your hobbies?" came a voice from behind him.

He shifted around still on his knees to look at her; blonde hair, blue eyes, beautiful long blue dress; just like he remembered her.

"Helen?" he gasped out, feeling out of breath, and tired, so very tired.

"I don't think I've ever met a man who talked to pigeons," she giggled stepping up to him. "You must be magical."

"I don't believe in magic," Nikola said, not entirely of his own volition.

"Me neither," she giggled again.

"You're so beautiful," he said, in complete adoration, not even caring if she heard him or not.

"Your accent's different, are you a foreigner? You must be, I traveled all across England, let me guess, Russian, German?"

"Serbian," he coughed, his adam's apple bobbing up and down.

"Fascinating," she giggled again, it was like angel's music to his ears.

She ran a white-gloved hand through his hair and he leaned into the contact.

"I've decided I like you, Nikola," she smiled and retracted her hand.'

"Helen…" he sighed.

She smiled at him and brought her lips lightly down on his forehead, her hands sliding down to his chest.

Nikola wished he could just stay here with the happy memory forever, before John Druitt, before Thomas Edison, before bitter disappointment and misery ruled his world. It was just him and Helen, how it should've been.

He felt a push on his chest and he started to fall back till he was encompassed by water.

He opened his eyes and he gasped.

His face was covered with a mask, and his hands reached out and felt a hard surface.

"Nikola!" he heard.

The voice was unmistakeable.

It was Helen, not the dream, the real one.

"We need to get him out!" shouted another voice.

He kept his focus on her as he struggled. Her hand was on flat on the glass in front of him and he swung his hand over with all his strength to flatten just above hers. He could almost feel her warmth emanating through the glass.

"Henry!" Helen shouted, her eyes locked on his.

"I'm trying Doc, this is really complicated!" said Henry.

"This was too easy!" said Will.

Helen groaned and took the heel of her gun and slammed it against the glass surface.

Nikola removed his hand.

"Hold on Tesla!" shouted Kate.

She picked up a large metal object and ran over swinging it wildly. It hit the glass and a large crack formed in front of him.

"Again Kate!" shouted Helen.

Kate nodded and swung the heavy object again.

They stepped back as the tank started spouting water.

Helen took initiative and gave the glass tank one last hard kick and Nikola was carried out with the rush of water, straight on to the floor.

He ripped the mask off his face, and the other things that had been inserted into him by lord knows who.

He gasped his first fresh breath of air in what seemed like a long time.

Helen kneeled beside him, placing her hand on his shoulder as he blinked the water out of his eyes and scrubbed his hand over his face, coughing and sputtering in the fresh air.

"Nikola, are you alright?" she asked.

He quickly wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

He coughed and sputtered some more.

"It…felt…long time…very long time…tank…water…" he managed to gasp out.

"It's alright, I'm here now," she said hugging him back.

"I know…" he shivered slightly, the cold air hitting him. "How long…was I under?"

"3 days or so," said Helen.

"What?" he gasped. It felt like years.

"What was it like?" Helen was genuinely taken aback from his reaction, Nikola wasn't one for being appreciative after being rescued, he mostly greeted them with a "what took you so long?" or "you didn't bring any wine?" comment. But for once in his life he was more than grateful to be saved, it boggled Helen.

"A nightmare…an endless, tormenting nightmare," he said pulling away, looking in a rather childlike dislike at the tank. "It's like nothing you can believe, Helen."

"I can vouch for that!" said a voice interrupting the group.

A scientist followed by several others carrying some form of odd weapon carried in.

"And now we have all of you," he grinned evilly and Will and Henry raised their hands up in surrender, followed by Kate and Helen.

Nikola just sat on the floor staring in confusion.

"Welcome Dr. Magnus, to your worst nightmare," said the scientist, is accent thick.

Helen and Nikola shared a sideglance before looking back at him.

"I told you it was too easy," sighed Will.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 – Seasick In A Dumbwaiter

In a splash, a sudden rush of water, the real world came crushing down on Nikola Tesla. It was the first gulp of real air he'd had in a long time.

Then she was there, just like she had promised.

And just like he'd expected, life came back to kick him down once again.

"Get up!" shouted the man.

Helen slowly rose to her feet, her hands held up defensively.

"I assume you're the cause of this," she gestured to Nikola, still sitting on the floor.

"He has an exceptional mind, and so do you, but you were not so easy to get to," said the scientist.

His accent was Russian to the best of Nikola's knowledge, but like most people who move away from the motherland and start learning other languages, the accent was muddled, distorted in it's rusty misuse.

Nikola remembered when he woke up one day and his accent had completely faded, he sat in the darkness of his hotel room and sulked, trying to recall what his voice had sounded like, he remembered the language, but he couldn't remember the sound, the timber in his voice that had made him different than all the other scientists at the World's Fair.

Nikola was roused out of his thoughts with a bump from Helen.

He got up staggeringly to stand beside her.

"What have you been doing to him?" demanded Helen.

"New technology, reading the brain as if it was a teen novel, we needed an exceptional mind to test it on, someone whose secrets were worth stealing, why not start with someone over a hundred years old?"

"Who are you?" interjected Nikola.

"My name is Hans Grotenberg, you may have heard of me," he said, the arrogance dripping off his tongue and pooling on the floor.

"Nope, I haven't, have you?" he looked at Helen who shrugged.

"You are not in exactly the best position to be cocky Mr. Tesla," the humor drained out of Hans in an instant scowl.

"What are you going to do, shoot me? You just said that my mind is invaluable," bluffed Nikola.

"Yes, but your friends, not so much," he shifted and pointed the gun at Kate, Will and Henry. "Are you willing to risk their lives?"

"Yes," Nikola said without hesitation.

"Nikola!" Helen gasped but he winked at her with a sly grin.

"They're her friends really, I could care less, so go ahead shoot them, I bet you don't even know who they are, or what knowledge they possess," Nikola said calmly and coolly.

"You pull my leg," said Hans sternly, keeping the gun fixed on Helen's team.

"I swear I'm not pulling anything," Nikola raised his hands, one of them sliding down Helen's back to her waistline.

Helen looked at him suspiciously.

He found what he was looking for and pulled her secondary gun out of her waist as deftly as a pickpocket would steal a wallet, Hans didn't even give a blink in awareness to Nikola's handiwork.

Nikola lowered his hands, hiding the sidearm expertly.

"The real question is Dr. Grotenberg, how much your willing to put your taut Russian behind on the line when the big guys funding this operation realize you've let some of the most brilliant minds escape your grasp."

"I'm German," said Hans sternly.

"Damn," Nikola should've seen that.

"And you expect me to believe that these three are some of the most brilliant minds the world has to offer?" scoffed Hans,

"I wasn't talking about them," grinned Nikola.

He swung his arm over Helen, the gun poised and fired, hitting Hans straight in the shoulder. He fell down to the floor and Nikola quickly took out the other three gunned men.

"Run!" he shouted at Helen and her team.

Helen nodded her agreement and ushered her team out the nearest exit, Nikola trailing behind.

"Get them!" shouted Hans, he stood up holding his bleeding shoulder.

Nikola tossed the now empty gun.

"And I thought we were supposed to do the rescuing," said Helen running along beside him.

"It's been a long day," groaned Nikola.

He quickened his pace as the sound of footfalls heightened behind them.

"Lock the doors!" shouted a voice.

Nikola could just see Henry and Kate get past the doors before they magnetically sealed behind them.

Helen and him were on the wrong side of the door.

"This way!" he grabbed Helen's hand and pulled her down the hallway of the industrial building, through another down and into the stairwell. The exit was locked but the doors to the upper levels weren't.

In a moment they were running up, his breathing labored, their hands firmly locked together till they were a few floors up. Nikola heard the door to the floor above them creak open, they had anticipated that he would try to go up. If they got that from his mind what else had they stolen…yeesh they were almst as bad as Marconi.

Helen had heard the same and took quick action.

"Through here," she whispered pulling him through the door to the fourth level. The lights on this level flickered menacingly, but it seemed relatively abandoned.

She opened up what Nikola had thought was an electrical panel, but in fact was the door to an old dumbwaiter.

"In here," she muttered.

"My, my, Helen, a bit of a contortionist are we?" he winced at the tight space.

"It's the only way we can sneak back down to the lower levels without being detected," she sighed.

"Well one of us is going to have to sit on the others lap," he said, too tired to put any of his usual flirty banter into it.

"You get in first," said Helen pushing him towards the contraption.

He obliged and squished into the square little space.

Helen came in after, expertly sneaking her leg over his body and around, straddling his lap.

"Is that you're gun or are you just happy to see me," grunted Nikola…she kind of kneed him in the groin, only slightly.

"I might be asking you that," Helen said shifting.

"You could, but the thing is, I don't have one," he grinned slightly.

"What a gun, or a happiness?" muttered Helen.

Nikola frowned.

"A gun, you crude woman," he scolded and Helen scoffed, still trying to fit herself into this contraption.

After a moment of struggle the two finally adjusted to each other, enough to be comfortable and Helen closed the door to the dumbwaiter and turned on a flashlight.

"Where to now, Indiana?" huffed Nikola.

"Down," said Helen, ignoring his reference.

"And how do you suppose we do that?" he grunted.

"Well, either there is a mechanism, and all we have to do is press a button, or we have to bust off the top and lower ourselves manually."

"In hindsight we probably should've looked at that before we climbed into the dumbwaiter," sighed Nikola.

"Yes, probably," shrugged Helen.

"Is this a bad time to tell you that I'm slightly claustrophobic?" said Nikola.

"Please, I've squished you into far more smaller spaces than this," scoffed Helen.

"Yah, but I hate crowds," Nikoa winced.

"You love attention," Helen rolled her eyes.

"I like being in front of crowds, I don't like being in them, and this rooms is awfully crowded don't you think?" he was starting to dry and sweat at the same time, how horrible.

"I'm surprised you haven't tried to feel me up yet," said Helen, she was looking around for a mechanism.

Nikola felt something by his hind and he flicked it, the dumbwaiter humming to life.

"I think I found it," he said.

"Oh good," Helen relaxed, feeling a hand just caress the curve of her butt. "Nikola!"

"Oh that's what that was," he grinned.

"What'd you think it was?"

"I actually didn't know," Nikola said defensively.

"You are unbelievable, even faced with peril you still manage to be the same arrogant bastard you always were," Helen rolled her eyes again.

"I missed you," Nikola said sincerely, letting out a deep sigh.

"You were only missing for a few days Nikola, we've spent further time away than that," she looked at him with slight confusion.

"It didn't feel that way to me…it was like an eternity in that tank, nothing but confusion and chaos, I couldn't tell what was real or what was imaginary, I still can't…I fear that any moment now, everything is going to change, I'm going to be back in that tank like a fish on a hook, dangling there for survival," Nikola closed his eyes and tried his best not to shudder.

"What did you see in there?" Helen asked calmly.

"Everything…everything I wanted, everything I hated, everything I've been scared of my entire life…it was like listening to my father talk about how useless my life was, or looking at my mother when she thought about my brother Dane…I saw all my failures and faults as a person and I couldn't do anything about it…then there was you…"

"I was in your dreams?" Helen looked at him as she spoke.

"Don't worry, you had clothes on for the most part," Helen resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "You were the most confusing out of everything, one moment you would be so…different…then the next you would treat me like you always do, with kindness but at a distance, and you kept telling me that you were going to rescue me, that I was dreaming…and I woke up and there you were…"

Helen bit her lip as she listened to him, he had never been so honest with her in the entire century they had known each other.

"You still think this is a dream, don't you?" she said, her hand lifting to gently caress his cheek, moving his eyes to look at her.

"I don't know, Helen, how can I?" he looked at her with bright blue eyes.

"I don't know either, I guess you're just going to have to trust me."

"Easier said then done, Helen," he looked away.

Suddenly the dumbwaiter jerked to a stop.

"What happened?" said Helen, her hands instinctively grasping his shoulders.

"Well, let's see, this thing is how old? I'm a hundred and…ehh, something, and you feel about a hundred and ninety…"

"Hey!"

"…Which is probably mostly firearms…and this things probably not seen any action for a good decade, so if we calculate misuse, plus the rate or rust and decay, especially on the cheap metal tracks these things are usually set on…I'd say we stalled, and either this thing is going to lose structural integrity and we plummet down the rest of the way, or we're going to stay here and asphyxiate, either way I blame you."

"Is that you're scientific opinion?" Helen glared at him.

"For the most part, yah," smirked Nikola. "And since both our options results in imminent death I say we make ourselves a few pounds lighter and go out with bang, what do you think?"

Helen rolled her eyes.

"Just when I think you've grown up…" she muttered.

"Well if this is a dream, I'll just wake up in a new place with new people to chase after me, and you'll be there and we can start this all over again and never get any where!"

He laughed like a madman and Helen slapped him.

"Nikola! Get a hold of your self, you're not dreaming! I'm real! And I need your help!"

Nikola whimpered, holding his cheek.

"Uggh! You hurt!" he whined.

"And you're a baby," she teased. "Now, we're probably just out of power, hold me."

"Are you scared of the dark?" Nikola asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"No, but I do need some support so I can grab the ropes and manually pull us down," she said as she lifted her body off his lap, lifting the roof off the dumbwaiter as she did so.

"Excuses, excuses," he smirked as he wrapped his arms around her waist to help hoist her up.

"There's good!" she hollered from halfway up the shaft.

"Hurry up!" he grunted, his face starting to turn red from the exertion.

Helen reached up and grabbed the thick cable.

"I think I might have to stand up!" she shouted down to him.

"Just don't stand on me!" he shouted back.

"Then place my foot in a desireable location!" she sighed.

He tentatively moved one leg to one side of his lap and the other to the other side before releasing her to stand quite snugly overtop him.

"It's a shame you're not wearing a skirt," he said with a small chuckle.

"You would say that," she rolled her eyes, trying to figure which cable to pull on.

"Do you need any help up there?" said Nikola, his nose just a little over a centimeter from her crotch.

He sat frozen, unable to shift so he wasn't looking at this certain location, afraid if he tried he would most certainly end up head butting her there.

"I think I have to lift the dumbwaiter up then lower it down, I hope you don't get seasick!" she yelled.

"Oh goody…seasick in a dumbwaiter."

Nikola's hand suddenly sprung out to brace himself as the dumbwaiter jerked and wriggled violently.

"What are you doing up there?" he shouted.

"It's stuck!"

"Oh it's stuck…point 1 to asphyxiation," he said with a sigh.

"Just one second…" another violent jerk, and Nikola felt his stomach drop as the dumbwaiter lowered quite frantically.

Helen grabbed a firm grip, getting rope burn in the process and stopped the decent.

"Ok! That's it! Get me off this train wreck before we fly off the bridge!" cried Nikola.

"It's fine now!"

The dumbwaiter dropped again slightly, disorientating Helen, and Nikola's nose came in direct hard contact with her pelvis.

"Hey!" cried Helen, kicking his thigh.

"You're the one whose crotch is flying everywhere!"

"Stop you're whining, I've got ahold of it now," said Helen starting to lower them.

"Just get us to the nearest floor then I'll get off and you can take this suicide ride down the rest of the way, I want off!" he whined.

"We're in this together Nikola!"

"Then screw it, I'm coming up there and helping!" he said, squirming his legs out from under hers and raising himself up into the open shaft.

He grabbed on to the cable and glared at her.

"I swear Helen, one of these days you're going to kill me," he grunted.

"Well, if this is a dream you won't feel any pain," she teased.

"That's what you think."

Helen groaned.

"Just help!"

He sneered but obliged.

"If we don't make it out of this, Helen, I just want you to know…I really like you in leather pants," he chuckled.

"If we were really in peril, that's what you would say, I enjoy you in leather pants," Helen huffed.

"For the most part," he shrugged, falling into her rhythm with the cable.

"Is that my only good quality?" she said.

"Well, no, but it is one of my favorites," he teased. "Is there anything you'd miss about me?"

"You're smile, that's about it," she said.

"Oh, my smile, eh? Not my devilish good looks, or tight butt?" he teased.

"You love yourself too much," she rolled her eyes.

"Not as much as I love you," he said casually.

Helen stopped, and looked him in the eyes for a moment.

"Hey-hey! Ex-vampire holding up over 200 pounds all by himself here!" cried Nikola.

Helen snapped out of it, shaking her head and again helping him lower the dumbwaiter as carefully as possible.

"Did you mean that, or are you just teasing?" she said.

"Mean what?"

"What you said, about loving me, is that true?" she pulled down on the cable.

"Does it matter? I've told you many times, what is one more time the difference to any other, I might as well say I hate you, or I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, both equally as pointless statements."

"Then why do you keep saying them?" she looked at him.

"For that one chance that your answer might be different," he looked at her seriously.

"Then yes," she said sincerely.

"Yes what?"

"Yes, it does matter," her eyes momentarily flitted to his lips before coming back up to his eyes.

A sudden jerk shook them and Nikola instinctively brought one hand around her waist, holding her close.

"What's happening?" asked Helen, holding on tightly.

"Point 2 to structural integrity failure," said Nikola.

"What?"

"Hold on."

Suddenly the dumbwaiter snapped from the cable and fell down at least three flights and smashed to the bottom.

Nikola managed to grab tightly to Helen, holding her up.

"Bloody hell!" Helen cried, wrapping her arms tightly around Nikola, and around the cable.

"Would this be a bad time to tell you I told you so?"

"Bloody, bloody hell!"

"I will take that as a yes."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 – An Off Day

Hans Grotenberg fumed as one of his people patched up his shoulder.

"They have to be in the building!" he shouted at his men.

"We've searched from top to bottom, every room, every hall, every crawling space, they're not here!"

"They have to be! We sealed them off!"

"Maybe they crawled out a sewer line, or something."

"Find them!" shouted Hans.

"Heir Dokter, our scans indicate a small explosion in the basement level, apparently there is an old dumbwaiter shaft running up the entire building, it collapsed approximately five minutes ago," said a fellow scientist as he walked in.

"What is that supposed to mean," barked Hans.

"Well it wouldn't have collapsed unless someone was in it," said the scientist.

"You mean they are dead?"

"No, they're still in the shaft, hanging by a thread, once they realize they are near the third floor entrance they will lower themselves right into our hands."

The scientist smirked, Hans laughed.

"See! Why couldn't you think of that!" Hans shouted at his other men and they scuffled out. "Bring them to me."

_**~~~~Dumbwaiter Shaft~~~~**_

"Bloody hell!" cried Helen.

"Yes I believe we've covered that," grunted Nikola.

"How can you be so calm?"

"Helen, really? I'm shocked, you should be more used to things like this."

"If you weren't holding on to the cable we'd be…"

"Smoosh."

"Yes!"

"Nah, I got you," he smirked.

"Yes, thank you," she said trying to control herself.

"Now that i have you, what did you mean back there?"

"What?"

"Okay, recap: I said something, you said something, you asked me why I said something, I said something else, then you said yes, yes to what? What did I say that you said yes to?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes…ohh, I get it now," he said with a smirk.

"What?"

"I said does it matter, and you said yes...you like me!" he grinned.

"That is completely ridiculous!"

"Nope, you can't back out now, I know the truth, I may still be dreaming though, which means if I drop you, we can just do it again."

He grinned deviously.

"Don't you dare!"

"Yay it is real! I think I've earned a date!"

"Not in a million years."

"Awww, you're just upset that I found out," he grinned smugly.

"You are completely arrogant to think…" he cut her off by kissing her.

She wanted to kick herself, he was right, she hated it when he was right.

Her brain screamed for her to raise her knee and kick him in leg but at this life conjuncture, that wouldn't have been the smartest thing to do.

So she was stuck, kissing him…and damn if it didn't feel so right she would've pinched herself. Unfortunately for her, she enjoyed every moment of that kiss, despite the fact that distracting the man holding you up from a steady 30 ft drop isn't recommended in the shaft dwellers manual for climbing up old dumbwaiter shoots.

If there was such a thing.

The two finally pulled back for air and she was face to face with his big, smug Cheshire cat grin.

"Point 3 to me," he chuckled.

"You don't get any points, you cheated," she said, trying to hide her blush.

"I didn't cheat, I was being strategic," he bluffed.

"You cheated!" Helen accused. "So what's your plan now, oh great mastermind?"

"I like that," Nikola teased. "Well from what I can tell, the 3rd level dumbwaiter doors are just below us, but I'm pretty sure our little accident didn't go unnoticed, so our only other option is to climb up a few feet and exit out the 4th level dumbwaiter doors."

"You like saying dumbwaiter doors, don't you?"

"I've always been a fan of alliteration, it's an alluring allowance to alliterate in abundance," he grinned.

"Seriously, Nikola, in another life you were an English teacher," Helen sighed. "I vote we go up, we don't want to play right into their hands."

"Agreed," said Nikola. "Okay I'll go first, just in case, can you grab on to the cable?"

Helen nodded and let go of him to grab the twine of metal and wire.

"Okay, up we go," sighed Nikola. For someone so wiry he was quite strong, not all of his strength had come from his powers, Helen knew he had worked out on a daily basis long before his vampire days. She'd caught him several times in Oxford, swimming in the pool. She'd always liked him wet.

Helen shook her head.

What a strange train of thought.

"Are you coming, or what?" Nikola called down to her.

"I would rather not head butt you in the ass, thank you," she sighed.

"There goes my weekend plans," Nikola teased.

Helen laughed as she started to pull herself up.

"Wait!" hollered Nikola.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm at the doors, and every time you move you jiggle the cable, now stay still!" he barked.

Helen sighed but obliged.

"If I fall, catch me," he said with a chuckle.

"Fat chance of that," she muttered.

He reached out one hand and tried, in vain, to pry open the doors.

"Oh bugger," he muttered. "You wouldn't happen to have a knife handy on you, would you?"

"Yes actually," she said reaching down to her belt and pulling out her combat knife.

"Toss it up here!" Nikola lowered his hand.

"What if you drop it?" she looked at the knife affectionately.

"I'll replace it!" groaned Nikola.

"Fine," she tossed it up to him and he caught it with expert grace.

"Thank you," he sing-songed.

"You're welcome," she mocked him.

He jiggled the knife into the crack and yanked hard, prying the rusty doors apart until he could jiggle his fingers in the rest of the way and shove them open.

"There we go," he tucked the knife into his belt and jumped over his hands grasping the ledge. He pulled himself up and through the doors, landing on the hard concrete floor of the fourth level.

"I'm out!" he shouted down to her.

"Alright!" came her response.

Nikola pulled out the tail of his shirt and wiped his hands on them as he waited for her to climb out and join him.

After a few moments his childish impatience kicked in.

"What's taking you so long?" he peeked his head through the doors.

"This isn't exactly easy!" cried Helen.

"We don't have time to nitpick, now you're close enough to jump to me, I'll grab you and haul you up the rest of the way," he said casually.

"No!" she scoffed pestulantly.

"Why not?"

"Because I have no inclination to die today," she mocked.

"Oh you won't die, I'll catch you," he outstretched his arms out to her.

"I'll make it just keep watch!" she ordered and he rolled his eyes.

"No ones coming, but they will soon! Hurry up!" he fussed.

Nikola heard something in that moment, a certain kind of creak that he knew from instinct wasn't a very good thing.

He looked up and saw, a few feet above, a section of very frayed cable, probably due to the sudden onset of weight after years of disuse.

"Ok, Helen, this time I'm not kidding, you have to jump for my arms!" he said, his fear creeping into his tone.

"What do you mean?" she looked up at him.

"I don't want to worry you, just trust me, there's very little time, just reach for my hand, please," he stretched his arm further.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, I just miss you a lot, Helen, please!" he was desperate.

"Fine, I'm high enough now."

Suddenly the cable jerked.

"Oh bloody…" cursed Helen.

"Yes, see, faster is better," Nikola said condescendingly.

"Nikola…"

"Just jump into my arms, Helen, I'll catch you," he tried to remain calm.

"Nikola!"

"I'm right here, just jump, Helen!"

"Nikola!"

"Helen, jump!"

"Nikola!"

"Jump, Helen, now!"

"Nikola!"

The cable snapped at the precise moment Helen jumped, her hand falling into the firm, if slightly sweaty, grasp of Nikola's hand.

"Ha! I told you I'd catch you," he pulled her up into his arms, falling into a small, tight embrace.

"You were right, dumbwaiter, bad idea," she said holding on to him.

"I'm usually right about such things," he half-smirked. "Don't ever freak me out like that again."

Helen sighed against his chest.

"No promises," she breathed in deeply to calm herself, the rush of adrenaline in her system causing her hands to shake.

"Well, we're back where we started," Nikola shrugged.

"Yes," Helen stayed in his warm embrace.

"We should really keep moving before they push us back into the shaft," said Nikola.

Helen sighed and let go of him.

"You're right, we need to find an exit and get back into contact with my people…can you use your magnetic powers to get us out of here?"

Nikola thought for a moment.

"Yeah…because that would be easier than trying to climb down a dumbwaiter shaft," he sighed. "It's been a long day, ok, I just got out of a tank, and I didn't have use for magnetic powers in a dream world."

Helen laughed as he whined about completely forgetting his own powers.

"It's understandable, I didn't even think about it till now," said Helen.

"And here I'm supposed to be a genius and I forget my own powers and crawl into a dumbwaiter," he rambled on.

"You've had other things on your mind, as I said," Helen helped.

"It's not something you just forget!" he whined.

"Are you going to be like this all day?" sighed Helen.

"Helen," he sniveled.

"We don't have the time, you do realize," she crossed her arms.

"Fine, I'm just…having an off day," he mumbled.

"Shh," said Helen suddenly.

"What?"

"Shh," she said again.

Nikola stared at her funny as she listened to some strange sound that only she could hear.

"Stop your whining and move," she shoved him down the hall.

"I don't hear anything!" he yelped as she pushed him through a door and pinned him to the wall behind it.

She covered his mouth with her palm so he wouldn't say anything.

"What do your scans say now?" came a voice from the stairwell exit.

"They're not in the dumbwaiter shaft anymore, they must've anticipated our ambush for them and climbed upwards, they've got to be on this level, search all of the rooms."

"Man, I'm really having an off day," muttered Nikola, Helen tried not to smile.

"Yes, you are," she finally relented and smiled at him.

She lightly kissed him on the cheek before he went on another rant and gave away their position.

He stood in wide-eyed shock.

"Does that mean you like me?" he grinned.

"It means shut up, before you end up back in that tank with me right behind you," she glared at him.

"Ooh, details, details," he whispered with a glint in his eye.

"You're so deluded you'd believe anything was a pass," she sighed.

"Oh admit it, it's why you love me," like a snake he had his arms wrapped around her so quickly she almost didn't notice until he had her pressed snug against him.

"Nikola, you are a child!" she whispered harshly.

"Am not!" he whispered back.

"Yes, you are," she said sternly. "Now shush."

"Fine," he released her and rested against the walls.

The two scientists sounded close.

"This is fun, like hide and seek but with guns," Nikola whispered.

"Are you determined to get us caught?" Helen whispered.

"Look around you, this isn't exactly the best hiding spot, everyone hides behind the door, it's the first hiding spot you learn when you're five," sighed Nikola.

"I'm hoping they're thinking we're not that stupid," Helen involuntarily shoved him against the wall as she heard a noise just beyond the door,

"Are we?" Nikola grunted quietly.

"We're about to find out," Helen covered his mouth the palm of her hand. Silence was not one of the more capable skills of Nikola Tesla.

Helen figured it had to be due to his time in the tank. The fact that the real world was upon him and that he was in real danger wasn't hitting him as it should be, of course reality hadn't really hit Nikola since the early 20th century.

"Check in here!" said one of Hans' men.

"These mutant people are sneaky, like X-Men," muttered one of them.

"They're not like X-Men," muttered the other, coming in after them.

"Why not, they have a mansion full of these things, some look human some don't, this Magnus chick is like a real life Dr. Xavier," sighed the first one.

"More like a real life Addams Family," joked the second one.

"Hey, at least my idea makes sense."

Helen held her breath as the two of them searched the room, silently praying that they won't look behind the door.

"This place is clear," sighed the scientist.

"Hey, what about the door?" chuckled the other one.

"No one hides behind the door, that's child play," sighed the first one.

"You never know, can it hurt?"

"We don't have time for this."

"It'll take two seconds!"

"That's two seconds we could spend searching somewhere else. They're not there, let's go!"

"Fine."

The two left and Helen waited long enough till their footsteps were far enough away.

She released his mouth.

"Point 4 to you," he grinned.

"You can't stay silent for a moment, can you?"

"You know, near death experiences bring out the chatter in me," he chuckled.

"You must be near death all the time," Helen rolled her eyes.

Nikola made a semi-pout that quickly twisted into a grin.

"Lets get out of here," sighed Helen, grabbing his hand and tugging him from behind the door.

She froze when her eyes locked on two more sets.

"I told you to look behind the door," smirked one of the scientists.

"Oh great, and I'm the one you said would get us caught," sighed Nikola.

"Just having an off day," sighed Helen.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 - Just In Case

Drip. Drip Drip.

Water from a faucet? A leaky pipe?

Drip. Drip. Drip.

It was coming from somewhere.

"You think too much Niko."

"Do not."

Drip. Drip. Drip.

"I can hear it, i know it's there!"

"It's driving you crazy."

"Yes! It won't stop! And i can't tell where it's coming from!"

"Niko."

He growled at his imaginary lover, if you could call her that - they might as well be.

"Don't call me that," he hufffed.

"What? Niko? I thought you liked that pet name," she teased.

"Not from you, from you it's insincere, it's demeaning, and it's false!"

"Now, I know you don't mean that," he felt her hands drape over his shoulders.

"You're not Helen! You're some hallucinogenic delusion in my mind made in her image just to bug me! Let me guess, i'm back in the tank again!"

"Something like that, but you were so close!" she laughed, teasingly.

"And Helen? The real Helen. Where is she?"

"She's close by," she said crypticaly.

"Was she really there?"

"Yes, you found her, it was real, as i said before," she kissed the side of his head absently as she spoke.

He hated the way she messed with him; holding him, kissing him, talking into his air in that husky whisper. It was torturous, more than this hellish dream world he kept finding himself prey to.

He slithered out of her arms and turned to face her.

It wasn't the dream that was wearing him down, it was her; the eternal tease.

"Why are you here?" he asked seriously.

"Whatever can you mean, Niko?" she said, not even phased by his serious tone.

"You're always here! Always like this! Not just youm but so many forms of Helen, i can't keep up! You come like some angel, kiss me, then disappear. Or you tantalize, teasem and taunt me is some strange fantasy! I don't want this!"

"And your point is?" she smiled on, but there was a certain evil to this smile, not like the real Helen, her smile was beautiful; this smile wasn't.

"My point is that you are evil! You are a lying, manipulative, brain aneurism just waiting to happen! You've been tricking me this whole time!"

"Well, aren't you a smart cookie," she stepped up to him, hands reaching out to rest on his chest.

He suddenly felt himself backed up against a wall.

"Go away," he closed his eyes, trying to imagine the real Helen.

"No! You can't ignore me, Nikola! I control you! Everytime you close your eyes you surrender to me!" he heard her shout and scream, clawing at his chest, neck and face angrily.

He refused to look at her, knowing she'd claw his eyes out if he did. He didn't want to go through that feeling of helplessness again. It was like being paralyzed by a dark entity; frozen by shadows.

He has faced many things in his life, many terrible things, but he has always been able to defeat them. Nikola Tesla has never been helpless; arrogant, self-centered, and narcisistic, maybe, but never helpless.

"Does closing your eyes make you feel blind again...alone?" she stopped clawing at him, her mood returning calm and icy.

"What?" he cracked his eyes open.

"I am connected to you, I am in here," she slid her hands through his hair and tapped his skull lightly as she spoke.

He breathed calmly, trying to ignore what she was doing to him.

"I know how you think...what you think," she pressed her lips to his ear, her words brushing over his hair and across his skin. "That blackness scares you more than anything, it reminds you just how little you are, how little your accomplishments are."

Nikola gulped and tried not to listen to her.

"Face it, Nikola! The only one you have is me. I will never leave you; I have never betrayed you like she did, I have always been loyal!"

She smacked the side of his head hard.

"I was there for it all! The fact that you still pathetically pine for her after all she's done IS a betrayal! You betrayed me!"

"But you're not real," he looked at her with a mix of confusion and fear.

"I am just as real as you! I saved you Nikola! All those times! When you got your heart broken by that bitch over a century ago, I was there! When Edison tossed you out on your ass without a penny and you were up to your ears digging ditches on the roadsides of New York just to eat, I was there! Even when that harpy sent you to the farthest corner of the earth to live in cave, I was there! Through all of it! Me and you, you and me, a man and his mind!"

Nikola shook his head.

"No, you are nothing!" he spat.

"I can keep you from the darkness, Nikola, I can save you again, like I've done all those other times. You, me, together we can take over this world, you know we can. We just have to get rid of her, she's the evil one! She's the one who has been stopping our progress."

Nikola shook his head again and closed his eyes, trying to drown her and her poison out of his mind.

His thoughts immediately drifted to him and Helen in the dumbwaiter shaft; she in his arms, nothing had felt so real and tangible.

"This is a dream," he open his eyes and was met with a blinding wave of bright light.

He was back in a lab, but not a tank, why? - He broke the tank, obviously no replacements, didn't need any - the had reinserted the wires, tubes and metal prongs into his body. A change of attire too - a sleek pair of black trunks, nothing else. - What was that beeping? - EEG's, heart and stat monitors - what are they looking for?

He turned his head slighty and saw Helen lying similarly to him, stripped to nothing but what looked like a shiny black bikini.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

There it was again.

Like in the tank, but there is no tank.

But there is water.

There is water!

Water and electricity.

And monitors.

Monitors monitoring vitals, heartbeats and brain function.

Mind - they want the most brilliant - they can't steal the mind but they can control it.

Mind control.

He looked over to Helen.

Then he looked the other way.

Someone must be watching them. There must be an observation deck, or a camera, they wouldn't just leave them unattended.

He sat up, the water dripping down his back. The contraption he was sitting in was like a fish aquarium without the glass tank. Fours sides about three inches high all round him and a few centimeters of water filled the bottom which glowed in a light blue haze.

Similar to the room with the tank, the wires and tubes ran from him and Helen to a series of IV bags and consoles. Most likely where his and Helen's vitals were being recorded.

Nikola looked down at himself and pulled at the pads lined down his chest and the IV line in his arm.

He pried the EEG plugs from his head and face, as well as the metal prongs from his temples and the back of his head.

His normally spiky hair was damp and slicked back. He could tell Helen was in a similar state; damp hair, wires, plugs and prongs.

He moved into a crouch and jumped off the glowing table. His feet tuched solid concrete floor.

"Helen," he went over to her, his eyes checking for any signs of abuse or harm they might've done to her.

"Helen, wake up," he moved to her neck to check her pulse, her heart was still beating.

"She's the evil one," he whispered to himself, looking at her restful face. He looked at her neck, the pulse point, how easily he could take her out with just one squeeze, one hand, all his pain would be be gone.

He could end this ongoing torturous game they've been playing for too long. Just a grip it will be all over.

He reached his hand over hesitantly, breathing steadily.

Wouldn't it be nice if it was all over? No more back-handed insults, no more sly comments or banter. No more having to silently bite back his affections. To be free of his sole anchor. The woman who has been pulling him down for a century.

He could feel the heat emanating off her exposed skin; he could almost hear the rush of blood through her veins.

His hand was so close, just one touch away.

He reached her neck. His fingers curling around.

Just one moment.

He plucked off the plug on the side of her neck, exhaling a breath he didn't know he held in.

He quickly moved to rid her of the rest of the plugs on her skin till he came down to the IV line and the metal prongs. He removed the IV like it was filled with nitroglycerin, then he proceeded to the prongs in her temples,and finally the last one at the back.

She remained very still, her eyes closed; not a stir of movement.

He lent down to her ear, stroking back her damp hair.

"Helen?"

Her eyes immediately snapped open at the sound of her name.

Nikola jumped at the sudden movement.

She, almost robotically sat up and hopped off the contraption in front of Nikola.

"Helen, are you ok?" he looked at her cautiously.

"Must destroy him," she muttered.

"Ooh that's not good," he dodged her fist suddenly flying towards him. "Helen! I know we've had our differences, but you don't want to do this!"

She lunged after him.

"Not that i haven't ever imagined you similarly clad and trying to jump me, but that was for completely different reasons," he babbled, keeping his hands up in defense. "The point is Helen, you don't want to kill me!"

"You bastard!" she grabbed the IV rack and swung it around, smacking him hard on the side of his face. He went flying backwayrds on to the floor.

She sounded less robotic more crazy.

"You tried to kill me!" she screamed, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him into the wall, his feet barely touching the ground.

"H-Helen! It's not real!" he panicked, keeping his eyes fixed on hers. "Helen, it's a dream! Notice it's flaws! It's flawed, Helen!"

She kept choking him.

"Helen! T-They're brainwashing you! Don't let them! You have to fight it! he coughed as she squeezed. "F-First day we met, Oxford Park, you wore a light blue dress, it matched your eyes, your hair was long, blonde, and curly. You smelt like lavender and vanilla, you always smelt of lavender and vanilla!"

She quirked her head to the side slightly as she listened to him.

"I was young, my hair was slicked back all the time, it was before I had that mustache, remember Helen? Y-You hated that mustache, you threatened to shave it off...many times. James would say "Don't do that, it's his only attractive feature," then you would scoff and hit me in the arm. Before the Five, w-we used to have picnis by the pond where we met, I know you remember, it was crystal clear, you could see right down to the bottom. The weeping willow tree next to it, surrounded by lush green grass and dandelions. That was our spot. We used to eat saltines and cheese in the summer under it's shade. W-we would read poetry, or study for our exams."

A tear rolled down his cheek...not because he was crying, but because he was running out of oxygen.

"You said my love for poetry at the time..."

"...showed the hopeless romantic in you," Helen finished, the rage draining out of her eyes. She released his throat and stepped away from him. "Oh my god, Nikola, what have i done?"

She blinked at him with crystal clear clarity.

"It's ok, i think a little sensory deprivation is good for the soul," he coughed, breathing in depply to regain his air supply.

"I could've killed you," she said.

"You? Nah, you've done worse to me, by far, being strangled is not as nearly as painful as being shot."

"Yes but this time I actually tried to kill you," he heard he remorse in her voice.

"It's ok, i forgive you," he coughed one last time before regaining stability.

"How did you know that would work?" she looked at him curiously, but still with a hint of concern.

"Experience," he said with a slight groan. "I've had three days of this, remember?"

Helen noticed the bleeding gash on his head, and the small cut under his right eye.

"You're bleeding!" she came over, the doctor in her kicking into full gear.

"Only slightly...you fight dirty," he half-teased. "Speaking of which, where could our host be possibly be?"

"I don't care," sighed Helen, pushing her damp hair out of her face.

"Well you should, either he's the dumbest scientist I've ever met, or he knew you were going to go psycho and didn't want to get in the way...but chances are..."

"He's still watching," Helen finished his statemet for him.

Nikola nodded.

"And not all that happy, his brainwashing technique has a major flaw in it. It can be broken with the right thought. I figured out that focusing on the specifics of a certain memory snaps you right out of it. It's how I gained consciousness in the tank. They had to keep putting me under with whatever they have in those IV bags; it's not strong enough. They know who we are, but not what we are, chances are, these drugs were designed with humans in mind. We both know we are much more than that," he whispered to her, in case they were listening.

"So, what do we do?" she whispered back.

"Kill me," he said seriously.

"What?"

"Relapse! Go crazy! Choke me to death. You're playing me, to gain my trust, to know what I know, and now that you do, you're going to kill me. When they come in, that's exactly what you're going to say," Nikola winked at her.

Helen silently realized what he was saying and nodded, grabbing his throat and choking.

Nikola struggled, his hands grasping at her forearms as she coninued to choke him.

His eyes rolled back and his grip on her arms lessened and she released him, ketting him fall lifeless to the ground, kicking him to make sure he was down.

The door burst open and Hans walked in, a big smile on his face.

"Excellent! I knew it would work!" he cried triumphantly, moving towards her.

"Yes, but why didn't it work on him? He's had twice the amount, yet it didn't take!" said a scientist behind Hans.

"Autopsy him, preserve the brain, we still have use for it," ordered Hans, his eyes never leaving Helen. "You did well, my dear."

Helen stared blankly ahead and stood stiffly, like a soldier.

"A beautiful mind inside an equally beautiful body," Hans leered at her.

"Help me with him," muttered the other scientist to the guards.

The three of them moved past Hans and Helen to Nikola's dead body.

The scientist grabbed his arms, while the guards grabbed his legs.

"Frick, his skin is like ice, why can't the dead stay warm longer?" muttered the scientist.

"Another dose, and this will all be a dream," Hans smiled at Helen, she resisted the urge to punch him in the nose. She kept looking blankly. "Be careful with him Karl, wouldn't want to damage the merchandise."

"Oh yes, wouldn't want to damage that," sighed the one named Karl under his breath.

They carried the limp body out of the room with a grunt and a grumble.

"Let's take him downstairs, boys," muttered Karl once they got out of Hans' sight, in the hallway outside the room.

As soon as the door shut behind them, Nikola opened his eyes and kicked his kicked his leg out of the grip of one of guards, kicking him in the face, then the other, dropping his other leg. Both feet on solid ground, he flipped Karl over him and sent him flying into the guards.

He righted himself and walked towards the pile of disoriented men. All of them were unconscious, or at least, almost unconscious.

He removed the sidearms from the guards as well as stealing the scientist's Karl's pants. He slipped the on; they were a little big on him, but there was a belt. He tucked the spare sidearm in the back.

He rifled through Karl's labcoat and found some kind of sedative. Might be useful.

"Thank you, Karl," he mumbled.

He cocked the gun as he quietly, and stealthily reopened the door.

_**~~~~Meanwhile, elsewhere~~~~**_

Will, Kate, and Henry sat in the van, power out, watching the building from afar.

Hans and his army of dimwitted thugs had relocated along with Helen and Tesla, apparently to try and throw them off. Or maybe to a better facility, which might've been the plan all along. Either way, they weren't a match for the sneaky tracking skills of Henry Foss.

The only thing they had to do now was wait for the perfect oppurtunity.

"I hate this," groaned Kate, her fingers tapping on her legs anxiously.

"We have to wait," sighed Will - the king of patience.

"Why? We have guns! Let's use them before they turn the Doc and Magneto into zombies!" she clenched the back of the car seat in frustration.

"We can't just go in, we need the right entry point, besides, it's Doc and Tesla, by themselves they could hold their own against these b-movies, together...I feel more sorry for them, those two are a handful," said Henry.

"They could be unconscious!" said Kate, her jitters not stilling.

"You just need to calm your trigger-happiness down before you shoot one of us," said Will.

"Then let me out, and I'll shoot one of them," Kate said condescendingly.

"Not until we're ready," sighed Will.

"Well hurry up then, cause I'm about ready to flip out," she tapped her foot on the floor of the van ecstatically.

"We can see that," smirked Henry.

"No we have to wait, just a little longer, just until Henry can do a proper scan of this place, can you do that, Katie?" teased Will.

"Fine, William," she muttered back.

She didn't like this, she didn't like this at all.

_**~~~~Back In The Facility~~~~**_

Hans walked around Helen, admiring his latest work, so to say.

He took his time, his eyes tracing up and down her body, like a vulture eyeing his next meal.

"The board will be quite impressed when i show you," Hans' words were slick like oil and just as slimy.

He caressed her cheek with his rough, calloused hands.

Helen wondered if he was above sleeping with his experiments.

She hoped Nikola would be back soon.

Hans tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with a twisted, disgusting grin.

"You are beautiful," he said softly.

The door flew opwn, making her and Hans jump in surprise.

"Unhand her!" shouted Nikola, a pistol in his hand. Hans grabbed her, and hid behind her.

"How did you - She killed you!" Hans shouted in confusion.

"You won't be wanting to show me off anytime soon," she growled at him.

Hans drew his gun, using Helen as a shield.

"You tricked me!" he snarled.

"Because you're stupid," muttered Nikola flatly.

"Nikola, not the best time to be insulting the man with the gun," Helen said through clenched teeth.

"Put the gun down now!" screamed Hans.

"You first," said Nikola, lacking his usual obnoxious luster.

"You want me to shoot your girlfriend, okay then!" Hans pressed the gun to her temple.

"Not his girlfriend," growled Helen.

"Ouch," said Nikola with mock hurt.

"Whatever, I kill her unless you put gun down now!" shouted Hans.

"Not going to happen, my hefty German psychopath," Nikola kept his eyes fixed on his target.

"Do you want her to die?" threatened Hans.

Nikola relented.

"No, no I don't," he releaed the gun and it fell to the floor with a clunk.

"I thought so," laughed Hans.

Nikola raised his hands up in defeat. Helen watched in confusion, something wasn't right, Nikola never just gave up, not even for her.

"Look, I'm sure we could come to some sort of an agreement, no need to go through this kicking and screaming...that would be quite the headache..."

Helen quirked an eyebrow as she realized his plan, and looked over to see Hans' focus was not entirely on her, and more importantly, not his gun.

She looked back at Nikola and subtly nodded her head in agreement.

In one swift motion, Helen brought her head back and butted Hans square in the nose sending him backing away from her and losing his grip on her arm.

She took the oppurtunity to run towards Nikola as he fired a shot straight into the mans leg. He went down, blood leaking out of his nose and thigh.

"Time for a little nap,' Nikola came up to him and jabbed the sedative he had stolen from Karl into Hans' neck.

Hans stumbled, his eyes glazing over, then he collapsed going completely limp, like a wet sock.

"What did you do, Nikola?" Helen came up behind him.

"Don't worry, it's just a sedative...at least I hope so," Nikola looked at her. "We shouldn't wait around, I only incapacitated the men in the hall...here."

He handed her the spare gun from his belt.

"Aren't you the man with the plan?" Helen smirked, then remembered how little she had on with a slight shiver. "You wouldn't happen to have an extra set of clothes in your pants as well, would you?"

Nikola chuckled.

"Aside from that gun, what you see is what you get," he grinned before checking the remaining bullets in the guns clip.

"Well then, you can help me with our friends labcoat," she flopped Hans over and proceeded to remove the white garment.

"I think you're beautiful just the way you are," teased Nikola.

"Not going to happen," Helen laughed.

"Fine," he sighed and helped her with her task.

They got the labcoat off of Hans and Helen slipped it over her shoulders, trying to ignore the thick, potent odor of the German's horrible aftershave.

Helen looked up and her eyes came in contact with the vast expanse of Nikola's chest standing in front of her.

He was absently rubbing the bleeding cut on his head.

"Three men and you couldn't steal yourself a shirt," she muttered trying to be a tease.

"I'm sorry, i was too concerned about you being half naked with Dr. Brainwash! Next time i will make sure i'm impeccably dressed before i come to your rescue, you're welcome," he huffed.

"You always get grumpy when you get hurt," sighed Helen, coming over to him and examining the scratch.

He slapped her hands away.

"I'm fine," he sighed.

"Stop being a baby, I don't want you passing out, i don't have the strength to save you, besides, I need your brilliant mind in case they try that magnetic door trick on us again," she ripped the pocket off the labcoat and used the fabric to soak up the blood. "Are you feeling any signs, dizziness, nausea?"

"If I had a concussion I would tell you, my love," he smirked.

"Would you?" she looked at him questionably.

"Probably not, but we don't have time for this, but if I had a concussion, I'm pretty sure choking me would've made me a lot worse," he said seriously.

"True," Helen sighed and removed the fabric, "At least it stopped bleeding, for now, once we get out of this I'll have to patch you up in the infirmary.

"Just kiss it better, that will be enough," he smirked.

Helen sighed and reached up and kissed his forehead.

"All I have to do is ask now? What have I done right?" Nikola grinned.

"Take it as a thank you," she said to him.

"That all?" he looked away, his grin fading slightly.

"Nikola, that kiss..." Helen sighed.

"Nothing, I know," he turned away.

"It's not that i don't care for you, Nikola, it's just," she put a hand on her shoulder.

"I love you, Helen, always have, take it or leave it, but you are and always will be the person I care for the most, it doesn't matter that you don't feel the same way," he sighed. "I've said my piece, now, we should go."

Helen felt a little dumbstruck by his admission but he started to head for the door before she had the chance to answer.

She followed after him, she watched him. Without a shirt, she could see his back and shoulder muscles tensed. He marched down the hallway, his gun tucked into his belt.

Why was he acting like this? What had really happened to him in that tank?

Helen kept her finger on the trigger of the gun, just in case.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 – Eye for Eye, Shoulder to Shoulder

Kate tapped her foot nervously on the floor of the car.

"This is unbearable, we've been sitting here for hours, why aren't we doing anything?" she growled.

"I know, it's taking the scanner a little longer than expected, we need these readings so we aren't going in there blind," said Henry.

"What if it's too late now? Why don't we just go in and start shooting?" complained Kate.

"It could put them into even more danger, we want this mission to be successful," said Will calmly.

Kate growled.

"We've done this many times, we have never had to wait this long!" she whined.

"I hate to break it to you Kate, but every time before this we've had schematics and a general lay out of the building before we actually went in, it's why we know where to go, you've just never stuck around for the entire process," admitted Henry.

"Seriously?" she looked at them and they nodded. "Oh that's miserable."

"It won't take too long now, I've had to make my way through a lot of interference, just sit tight for a few more minutes," said Will.

"You said that like an hour ago," whined Kate.

"Well, this time we mean it," answered Henry.

"Ughh, I can't sit here while you two play it safe, I'm going in, you can join me when you get your schematics," Kate cocked her gun and stepped out of the vehicle before they had a chance to protest and she marched up to the building, ready for anything.

She moved to the side of the building and saw a ledge on the second floor leading to an open window. She gingerly climbed on to the window ledge directly under it and jumped, grabbing ahold of the ledge and climbing up and through the window. She didn't make a sound.

Pulling her gun from her belt she poised it, blowing a stray strand of hair out of her face. Schematics, phh! Who needs schematics? Now, she just had to find the Doc and Tesla.

She now saw where schematics would come in handy.

_**~~~~Elsewhere~~~~**_

Helen kept her back pressed against the cool hard surface of the wall as Nikola checked to see the coast was clear. They hadn't spoken a word since Nikola's confession, mostly a series of hand signals and the occasional hush. She knew she should say something, anything as a response to what he said, her silence slowly becoming an answer to him, but she couldn't find the words, let alone the appropriate answer.

He leaned back against the wall and his eyes met hers.

"All clear," he whispered, slowly creeping around the corner.

"How many hallways does this place have?" sighed Helen. This place was a varitable maze, so many doors, no fire exits, and no signs.

"I'm guessing many," he answered bruskly.

"No, really?" she replied sarcastically, sharpening her tone.

"We'll find a way out," he muttered.

"I don't even see a way down," she huffed.

"Well we will soon enough, we just have to keep looking," he snipped.

"What's your hurry?" she teased slightly.

"I've been in a tank for two days, my clothes are gone, I haven't eaten in forever, and my brain feels like its ready to aneurism! I don't want to go back into that dream world! What I want is a bottle of wine, a quick shower, and a hot meal, and maybe some real live company just to mix it up, I would preferably enjoy you, so hence, we keep going before Hans wakes up and turns into a big angry German," whined Nikola.

"Understood," Helen held her hands up defensively. "Now, when you say company, you mean…"

"Company, someone to look at, talk with…you can quell the terror in your eyes, I meant it as friendship not whatever lewd act you're thinking of," he muttered bitterly.

"That is not what I meant and you know that," she groaned.

"Oh, then I suppose you need me to clarify that when I said shower I meant alone, would that be nice?" he huffed.

"You've have been acting like an adolescent girl for this entire mission! Stop reading into every thing I say and every question I ask, just because I haven't given you a definitive answer to yours!" growled Helen.

"It's a simple question, Helen. Yes or No. Yes, you feel something for me to, or No, you don't! You don't have to treat me with kid gloves Helen, I can handle rejection, what I can't handle is being babied," he stopped and looked at her.

"This is where you go wrong, because it is not a simple question and the answer is not simple either! You kind of sprung it on me, how do you expect me to make up my mind so quickly!" she looked at him defiantly. "I have no idea what this is, what we are…and I would much rather give you an honest answer than a hurried response just to please you."

Nikola's gaze softened at her words.

His chest moved with each breath, and the memory of the kiss they shared in the dumbwaiter came back to her as her eyes settled on his lips.

Before her brain could comprehend those lips met hers, they were hungry but soft, sweet and gentle. The planes of his chest were under her fingertips, and his hand pressed into her back, holding her gently.

Helen pulled back gently, her eyes locking on to his. His eyes were always so expressive. The pure, sweet, genuine emotion floating in the blue-grey orbs was enough to get her wanting to kiss him again. His eyes said "I love you" more honestly than he ever could. Such adoration, such affection, such sparkle; things those eyes only gave to her. She'd ignored them for so long, she didn't want to listen to what those eyes had to say.

If anything, she did love those eyes. Eyes that could change from blue to grey according to their mood, blue when they were sad, grey when they were angry, together when neutral, black when necessary. They were both light and dark at the same time, just like Nikola.

She gently placed a soft, sweet kiss on the corner of Nikola's mouth.

"Let's get out of here first," she whispered huskily, her voice threatening to lodge itself in her throat.

"Ok," he replied almost as huskily.

It took her a moment to realize her hands were still on his chest. When she did she dropped them immediately.

"Uh, after you," she said.

"Uhh, right," he blinked, a little flustered. "This way."

He gestured to the direction down the hall.

Helen nodded and took his hand.

"Lead the way," she said softly to him.

He gave her a smile, a genuine smile, something she had only seen from him a few times in the century or so she had known him. She always considered it a treat when he dawned it for her. A secret hope sat inside her, hoping that she was the only one who ever received such smiles.

She felt his hand squeeze hers lightly, feeling around in disbelief that her hand was really there.

He had been acting so strange since he was rescued from that tank, it made her more nervous than she would like, despite his abrupt honesty, and almost heroic gestures, she found it disconcerting for him to act this way. She wanted to ask him about it, but now was not the time.

He stopped suddenly, standing protectively in front of her.

"What is it?" she whispered.

"Someone's coming," he led her away, running down the hallway they had just come up, trying to get out of the sight of whoever was blocking their way now.

They slipped into a broom closet quickly, there was barely enough room for the broom let alone the two of them.

Helen's back was pressed into his chest and her front nearly touched the wall of the closet facing her. Nikola's back was pressed into the opposite wall, his arm wrapping around her waist to squish them further to the back wall so they could close the door behind them. It was a tight fit.

Helen's hand rested on the side of his thigh, some subconscious effort to keep him from being squeezed out of the closet. The spikes of his hair just grazed the ceiling and his chin was pushed against the back of her skull. The hand that had been entwined with hers held on to her shoulder in the same effort to keep her inside. Helen's knee was in an ongoing fight for space with the existing broom. Nikola grunted with slight discomfort as she shifted against him to make herself more comfortable.

They finally stilled, every body part firmly squished, squashed or tangled with something. If it hadn't been Nikola she would've been miserable, but the way he held her, the way his breath hitched every time she shifted her weight, the way his hand drew tiny small circles on her shoulder blade.

It reminded her of those days in Oxford when the two of them would lounge together, his head in her lap, her legs draped over his, his hands gently massaging her feet, hers in his hair or playing with his mustache. They would read together in front of the fireplace when it rained, sharing a settee and a pot of tea or a glass of wine, he used to make a comfortable pillow out of her billowing petticoats and fall asleep with his head on her rump only to be rudely awakened by her governess and swatted at with her feather duster. Oh the days before lust and desire, before love, when friendship was all they knew, and kisses were nothing more than sweeter hugs or handshakes to them. When it wouldn't be and uncommon sight to see the two of them studying together in the park under the shade of a willow tree, or running around in the garden of her London estate barefoot. Like two kids they were, endless and boundless energy.

She didn't know what had changed, or who had changed first, but she held on to those memories with a keen fondness.

So few years of childish happiness marred by a century of bitterness, bickering, fights and flirting.

But now, she recalled that shared sense of innocent intimacy, like it was yesterday.

Helen turned her head slightly so she could look at him; she knew he was thinking the same old bright memories as she was. How she wished they could stay in that beautiful world together again.

"This reminds me of all the trouble we got into when we were younger," she rested hr head against him slightly. "You were so cuddly back in Oxford, like an arrogant, cheeky teddy bear."

"Your governess didn't think me as much of a teddy bear, as I recall, I think she referred to me as scoundrel," he laughed softly.

"She frightened you didn't she?" teased Helen.

"She tried to beat me up with her feather duster," defended Nikola.

"It was your fault for falling asleep on me," Helen laughed quietly.

"Yah, but for a mysophobe she couldn't have punished me in a crueler way," he joked.

"You were not mysophobic, you only claimed that you were, you get dirty all the time," Helen rolled her eyes.

"Now I'm not, being a vampire really had it's advantages, but as a young lad, I thought for sure that dirt was going to kill me…then I met your governess and then I was definitely sure that she was going to kill me with that dirt bag she calls a duster, every time she hit me a mushroom cloud of dust exploded off me like a nuclear testing sight, I was terrified," Helen snickered, trying to keep her volume low.

"You were eccentric back then, weren't you?" Helen thought fondly on the young, hopeful Nikola she had loved back then, the man who was sure he could make the world turn faster if given the chance.

"I'd like to think I still am," he sighed. "I would hate to have lost my eccentricity."

"It would be a shame," she noticed how her hand had inadvertently placed itself over his, holding it gently. "Why are we hiding again?"

"I have no idea…it seemed like the thing to do at the time," shrugged Nikola, the sensation a bit too enjoyable for Helen to admit.

"So we are in this broom closet because?" she coaxed.

"I don't know, to give me time to think?" he answered.

"Did you actually hear someone coming down the hallway?"

"I don't know anymore," he groaned and rested his forehead against her shoulder, muffling his laughter. "This has been a really off day, I have never experienced so many different moods in so little time, one moment we're fighting, the next we're in danger, then next we're laughing over a feather duster…what is wrong with us?"

"Side effect of the brainwashing, I suppose…either that or we're both pregnant," Helen joked.

"Wouldn't that just be the cherry on top this twisted sundae," he groaned again.

"Indeed…can we get out of the closet now, before this broom tries to mate with my leg," Helen sighed.

"I guess, but really I expected more security in this place," he opened the door and squeezed himself out of the closet.

"It is rather puzzling," she came out after him, immediately missing the warmth his body provided.

"There are no cameras, no sensors, no guards, for such secretive work you'd think they'd have a back-up plan," he looked around, using his magnet power to search for anything that could be recording or locating them.

"Maybe they don't need any of that, I mean we were unconscious, maybe they implanted something in us to keep us from getting out," she looked at her arms for any marks or scars.

"Are you thinking a computer chip, or some sort of transmitter?" he took her arm and ran his hand over the skin, using it like a scanner for any electromagnetic waves. He repeated the process on her other arm, and then down her legs. Helen tried to ignore how much she enjoyed the sensation.

"I don't know, it was just a hunch," she said, her voice sounding strained to her ears.

"It's a good hunch," he agreed. "Hmmm."

He looked at her quizzically.

"Hold still for a moment," he said and Helen did so, until she felt his hand on her butt, causing her to spin around and smack him dumbstruck.

"What are you doing?" she glared at him.

He held his cheek that was slowly turning bright red.

"Checking for a transmitter!" he cried in defense.

"There isn't one there!"

"Helen if I wanted to make a pass at you I would've been more charming about it! I promise, it was just a check, an involuntary butt squeeze would be this," he swung his arm around and firmly cupped her butt with a devious smirk.

She smacked his arm and it retreated away.

"There isn't one there!" she growled and he held up his hands defensively.

"Fine, there isn't one there…unfortunately…" he muttered slightly under his breath, if she wasn't paying attention she would've missed it. "Will you just…keep scanning…and no, there will be no transmitters in my breasts either."

"You take all the fun out of it," he teased, returning his hands to her body, this time at the small of her back, slowly sliding them up wards in small circles. Helen moaned involuntarily, the feeling more like a light back massage than a scan.

"You like being rubbed don't you?" he teased.

"Shut up," she sighed.

He reached her shoulders and stopped, his face scrunched into a quizzical frown. His hand moved past the same spot.

"I think I've found something," he said, deeply concentrating on the location just by the shoulder blade of her right shoulder.

"What is it?" she asked.

"From what I can tell it is a small device, about the size of a penny," he lifted his hand off her to reach behind his back and feel for the same area. "I have it too."

"That must be it," Helen turned around to look at the spot.

"You have to cut it out," he said pulling out the knife he had swiped from one of Hans' goons.

"What?" she looked at the knife.

"Helen, I'm not a surgeon, but I have a high tolerance to pain, just do it," he handed it the sharp implement to her.

"No, I-I can't, I have no idea how deep it is, or what it is attached to," Helen tried to hand the knife back but her grabbed her wrist.

"You have to try, I can guide you through it, I'm using my magnetic powers as kind of a resonance scan so while you cut I will tell you what to sever.

"What about me?" she asked.

"I sent a focused pulse to the device, disabling it, you're fine," he stepped up to the wall and braced himself with his hands.

"Can't you do the same?" she followed, still holding the knife.

"No, I can't reach, my hand has to be in a specific spot to hit the transmitter, if I do it any other way the device could implode and that wouldn't be very good for me," Helen looked at his bare shoulder and groaned slightly. "Come on, Helen, you have removed shrapnel in the trenches during two wars, at least here there is no mud."

Helen sighed.

"At least in the trenches we had anesthetic, ether, something to keep the patient still, you have to keep yourself from flinching, if you flinch I could nick something and I don't have anything to patch up those kind of wounds, you could end up bleeding out," she looked into his eyes.

"I won't flinch," he looked back, his gaze determined.

"Alright," she sighed and took a deep breath before gripping the knife firmly. "You're going to have to show me where the device is."

His hand reached behind him and pointed at the spot.

"There, right were my finger is," he kept his finger until he felt the tip of the cool blade on his skin.

"How far down to I cut?" asked Helen.

"1 inch down, three in," he gasped slightly as she pushed the blade into his skin. The pain was excruciating but he refused to let his body flinch. He grinded his teeth together and kept his hands braced on the wall in front of him. If he had his old vampiric strength the wall would have two very prominent handprints indent into it.

"Ok, I see it, what do I do next?" she tried to ignore his strained and ragged breathing as he pushed through the pain to speak.

"You want to deactivate it before you remove it," he finally gasped out.

"How do I do that?" she winced as a stream of blood trickled from the wound and down his back.

"G-give me your hand," he groaned. She did so. "Now put your other hand directly on the device."

She followed his instructions.

"Now you're going to feel a shock, whatever you do don't remove your hand from the device."

"Alright," she braced herself.

The shock tingled from her hand up her shoulder across her chest and down through the other arm, leaving her blood rushing and her heartbeating faster. The device sparked slightly then died.

"Ok, it's deactivated, now what?" she released his hand.

"Now, pry it out like an avocado pit," he groaned.

"Nikola!" she was appalled by his explanation.

"Just do it! It's not connected to anything vital it's just resting on a bundle of muscle, as long as you don't tear it in the process it should be fine," his voice came out strained and sharp.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm sure just pull it out!" he was sweating profusely and his arms trembled slightly.

Helen held the knife firmly in her hand and gently stuck it underneath the device pulling it off the muscle, like one would pulled gum off their shoe.

It came free easier than she expected and with it went Nikola's strength. He crumpled to the floor, taking in long deep breaths.

"Nikola, are you alright?" she tossed the device away and kneeled down to him.

"Yah, just a jabbing pain, nothing serious," he groaned, his eyes squeezing shut.

"I have to find something to patch up the wound," she cradled his head in her hands.

"Ok, you do that, I'm just going to lie here and cry…like a little girl…" he whimpered and Helen leaned down a kissed his forehead.

"Does that help?" she teased.

"A little," he relaxed slightly. "It would help a bit more if you kissed here."

He pointed to his mouth gaining a roll of the eyes and a small smile from her.

"You're incorrigible," she sighed and stood up heading back to the broom closet looking for anything that might me useful, all there was, was a broom, half a sponge, and a roll of duct tape. She picked up the duct tape and sighed, it was better than nothing.

She ripped a section of cloth off the bottom of the lab coat she was wearing and went back to Nikola who and rolled on to his stomach, most likely to keep the wound from getting hurt or infected. He was still whimpering.

"I think I found something that might work," she kneeled down by him and placed the bunched up cloth on his back pressing down to add pressure to the wound to keep it from bleeding profusely.

"You wouldn't have happened to have found a pill bottle full of ibuprofen, would you?" he whined.

"Sadly no, but I could take your mind off the pain in your shoulder," she picked up the duct tape and ripped off a strip.

"Oh really, and what do you have in mind?"

"I could stab you in the leg with the knife," she laughed as he winced.

"You cruel vixen!" he groaned.

"It would take your mind off it," she shrugged.

"Yes but instead of just one hole in my body, I'd have to, I'll take my chances with this one."

Helen ripped off another strip of duct tape and stuck it over the cloth, securing t in place.

"There, that should hold you off until we can get out of here," she rubbed his shoulder, gently avoiding the wound.

Nikola pushed himself up and grunted as he found his footing.

"There, easy peezey! No internal bleeding, I'm still alive, told you it would all go well," he grinned at her.

"You can say that when we're back at the Sanctuary and still alive," she stood up and looked at him. "Will you be alright?"

"Oh yah, I'll walk it off, this isn't the worst injury I've ever maintained…hand through vital organs still wins," he sneered at her.

"Yes but you healed," sighed Helen.

"You have no idea what it was like to lie there with a hole in my gut without your beautiful face to duct tape me back together again," Nikola joked, giving her a teasing grin.

"Stabbing you in the leg is sounding more and more like a good idea," Helen sighed and started walking.

Nikola followed after her, his swagger returning despite his bandaged shoulder. Only to find her, as well as himself, face to face with the barrel of a gun.

"Not anymore," Nikola raised his hands up at the fleet of men pointing guns at them.

Hans was at the front holding his wounded arm.

"You two are really starting to piss me off," growled Hans. He pulled out a tazer and shocked Helen, she fell to the floor unconscious. Nikola moved to catch her but was stopped by the cocking of a dozen rifles.

"Don't move Mr. Tesla, or she will die…you have quite the skill set Mr. Tesla, you have managed to defeat our tank and make yourself immune to our drugs, and also disable our transmitters…yet you haven't been able to find the exit," Hans stepped up and smacked Nikola on his wounded shoulder, the pain knocking him to his knees.

"Now that I have seen your bag of tricks you are not going to be able to escape again, especially since we've found your back up," Hans snapped his fingers and they brought Kate forward.

"Let go of me, jerk!" she growled.

"Kate?" Nikola looked at her.

"Tesla? What happened to you? Where's your shirt?" she looked quizzically at him.

"Don't ask," Nikola sighed.

"Put them in a holding cell until The Boss arrives, this will work with or without the brilliant mind of Nikola Tesla to pilot it," Two men came and scooped up Helen.

"Where are you taking her?" Nikola lunged for her but was kicked back.

"I have it in good belief that the brainwashing worked on her, and it will work again, especially without your assistance, and if it doesn't she dies, and we then we use the other one, you unfortunately are more valuable alive than dead," Hans glared at him. "We'll have to develop something special to control you."

"Sounds like a party," remarked Nikola bitterly.

"Take him away," Hans spat and Nikola and Kate were dragged away, the guards keeping a hand on Nikola's wounded shoulder, effectively crippling him for the time being.

Hans looked at Helen.

"Get her in the tank," he ordered to his men. "The Boss is going to be here soon, I want to have something to show him when he gets here."

The men nodded and carried Helen away, Hans following behind with a deceptive and devious grin on his face. Nothing was in his way now.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 – Working In Unison

Nikola and Kate were taken to a cell covered in rubber from floor to ceiling.

They were tied together with plastic zip ties, and left sitting on the floor, back to back. The two of them struggled to get free for almost half an hour it seemed. Nikola of course being the most impatient, that was saying a lot since Kate was the one he was tied to the wrist to.

"They definitely planned for your magnet power," muttered Kate, she grunted slightly as her back bumped into his.

"This isn't the first time I escaped from them," he grunted as he fought to squeeze his wrists out of there restraints.

"Look, every time you tug, you take me with you just sit still for one moment," barked Kate.

"Where are the others, Will and the Werewolf?" asked Nikola.

"Still waiting for schematics," she sighed.

"Wait, you came into this facility without a building layout?" he asked.

"Yah, so?"

"So you're no help," he rolled his eyes, returning to his effort to pull his wrists, he ended up jerking too hard and the back of their heads smacked into each other.

"Ok, that is obviously not working," she grunted.

"Are you sure they took all your weapons?" he asked.

"Even the bobbie pins from my hair," she sighed.

He groaned loudly.

"I hate this," he muttered.

"No kidding," she agreed.

"How could you execute a rescue mission without a building layout?" he asked incredulously.

"I seriously didn't know! I'm just the muscle of the operation I rarely have a hand in planning! I just thought Magnus had a good sense of direction," shrugged Kate.

"Hah! You never had to trek with her through the amazon, with a broken compass and rainstorm on the horizon. We passed the same tree so many times I carved our initials in it every time and claimed that's how many years we'd be together," Nikola grunted again, how he wish he was a vampire again, one elongated fingernail and the zip ties would be gone in an instant. He, of course, had no such luck.

"And how did that work out for you?" Kate muttered sarcastically.

"I will tell you someday in the future," he replied cryptically.

Without warning he tugged on the restraints again, Kate growled with annoyance and brought her head back and head butted him on his shoulder, write on the duct tape X.

Nikola cried out and whimpered.

"Okay! Uncle! Uncle!" he cried, his shoulder throbbing slightly.

"Now, we're going think about this rationally, there has got to be a way out of here, right?" Kate scrunched her brows together as she tried to think.

"Help!" Nikola shouted shrilly.

Kate glared at him.

"Worth a shot," he shrugged.

Kate sighed deeply. This was not going to be easy.

_**~~~~Elsewhere~~~~**_

Helen felt the sun on her face as she cracked her eyes open. The window was open slightly, letting in a soft warm breeze into the sunlit room. It looked like a room out of a bed and breakfast, she always enjoyed B&B's, always said, "that's where I'll retire, in a cape cod cottage with a flower garden and a horse. Live the rest of my life riding bareback, and walking on the clean old wood floors barefoot until I can't walk or ride anymore."

This was exactly how she pictured it, if a little less rustic.

She sat up, pushing her long blonde hair over her shoulder.

The door opened and a man stepped through carrying a tray.

"Oh good, you're up," he said softly, a big smile on his face.

"I-I just woke up now," she blinked, she knew this man, but his name was lost on her.

"The Doc said you would wake up a little disoriented, it's typical with these type of accidents," he put the tray on the night side table and sat on the bed looking at her. "Do you remember who I am, Helen?"

A name swam to the front of her mind.

"N-Nikola?" she reached a hand up and cupped his face.

"Close, Nicholas…and you are my wife, Helen," he said softly, placing his hands over hers.

"I'm Helen…right…that, that makes sense, I guess," she looked into his blue eyes. They were bright blue and calm. "How long have I been asleep?" she asked, dropping her hands from his face.

"About a day, you received a massive blow to the head, one of the horses went crazy and kicked you, but you're fine now, temporary amnesia, Doc says it should clear up in a few weeks," his hand trailed to the back of her skull and she felt a dull ache there. "Does it hurt?"

"Only a little," she mumbled.

"That's good…I brought you breakfast, sausages, eggs and coffee, two creams one sugar, just the way you like it," he smiled sweetly and Helen took his hand.

"You're my husband?" she asked.

"Yes, we've been married coming on 5 years," he looked at her, his eyes unreadable as he talked. They remained empty and she found it disconcerting, only slightly.

She leaned over and kissed him chastely, it felt like the thing to do, maybe to remember the sensation of his lips against her would bring it all back.

He had light brown hair, a little shaggy at the sides, dressed in jeans and plaid like any good farmer, his hands were warm and gentle. She pulled back but he just smiled, seemingly unaffected by her actions.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to see…"

"It's okay, I take it as a good sign," he smiled reached over to bring the tray of food. "This should start you off right."

She picked up the coffee and took a sip, she instantly despised the flavor, putting the cup down gingerly and trying to hide her disgust.

How anyone could drink that poison was a mystery.

"This is very sweet of you," she said looking at him.

"It's nothing, but if you permit me, there are two people who would very much like to see you," he stood up from the bed as he spoke.

"Um…alright," she looked at him quite confused, but nothing could make her more confused than she already was.

He walked over to the door and opened it.

"Come in, it's ok," he said softly and two little children peeked their heads into the room; a boy and a girl. The boy was the older one, at least 4 or 5, short brown hair and blue eyes, the girl looked like she was about 3, with straight blonde hair and grey eyes. They smiled when they saw her.

"Mummy!" cried the girl, running past Nicholas and to the bed into Helen's arms.

Helen was quite surprised at first, but hugged the young girl back.

The boy walked over normally and stood at her bedside.

"Ashley and James have been waiting very patiently," said Nicholas.

"I recognize those names," Helen smiled.

"Are you going to feel better, mom?" asked James.

"Yah, I missed you!" said Ashley, keeping her arms securely around Helen's neck.

"I-I think so," she said looking at the two of them.

So this was her family. Everything seemed familiar. Her husband, her children, her home, her life, it seemed all so familiar, yet so distant.

Nicholas walked up behind James and stood there, keeping his hands at his side.

"Come on kids, let your mom eat her breakfast," her picked up Ashley and set her on the floor.

"But I want to stay with mommy," defended Ashley.

"You can see mommy later, come on, I'll make you breakfast," he scooted them out of the room then turned to Helen. "You can eat up, get washed, your clothes are in the chest, we'd love to see you any time you're ready."

"They're beautiful," she sighed, looking at the space the children, her children, had previously stood.

"They are, aren't they?" he smiled again.

"James is such a handsome boy, he looks like you," she said, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, her feet landing on the warm wood floor. She stayed sitting on the edge of the bed, stretching her legs. "He also seems very mature for his age."

"He is, he's very smart, but he causes his own brand of childish mischief, you'll remember soon enough," he sat beside her.

"I feel like I should know all of this, but I just can't get my mind to do it, like it's refusing to accept this reality," she looked at him. "I know you, I know I do, I can feel it in my heart that I do, but my mind keeps telling me something is wrong, something isn't quite right, either with me, or with something else."

"I'm sure that's how all amnesiacs feel, Helen, I'm sure once you live in this world, with me and the kids, it will come back to you, we'll come back to you, then we can live our life together, just like we planned," he leaned in and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Meet me downstairs?"

She nodded and he smiled once again, a soft smile, but the same smile.

He stood up and headed out of the room leaving her to sit there.

Something didn't feel right; she knew it didn't.

_**~~~~Elsewhere~~~~**_

Hans placed his hand on the side of the cool tank.

"How is the serum working?" he asked.

"Five minutes until the first course is completed, second course is set and ready immediately after. If it takes she should be ready in an hour," answered Karl. He was banged up from his encounter with Nikola, and he had changed into a spare pair of pants and a new lab coat, but other than that he was still as bitter and grumpy as he was before.

"Excellent Karl, I want our men on standby in case it goes south and we need the girl instead," ordered Hans.

"Yes sir," nodded Karl.

"Is the new implant working?" asked Hans.

"Yes, biometric and thermic signs are being recorded," answered Karl.

"Good, hopefully this time it won't get disabled," muttered Hans.

"Yah, so far, this Tesla has been more trouble than he's worth, he didn't take to the serum, he destroyed one of our tanks, he shot you, he disabled two of our transmitters, and he stole my pants!" grumped Karl.

"Unfortunately he is worth a lot more than you think, he is a genius mind, but we've underestimated his skills," Hans sighed, looking at his damaged arm in its sling. "The Boss will want him alive, despite how crafty he is."

"I don't know, I'd think you'd have less troubles with tribbles," snickered Karl.

"No Star Trek jokes," glared Hans.

"Yes sir," Karl coughed awkwardly then returned to his work.

Hans turned around and looked again at his subject in the tank.

"You will be my crown jewel, I just know it," he whispered to her, floating gently in her slumber. When she wakes up she will be in his control, so beautifully I his control. "You're mine, Helen Magnus."

_**~~~~Outside the Facility~~~~**_

Will sighed looking out the van window.

"Ok, this is starting to bug me, what is wrong with that thing," he turned to Henry.

"I told you there's a lot of interference, my device can make a complete scan," said Henry.

"Can't we do it with only half a scan? We just need a general idea, not a detailed map," sighed Will.

"Just give me one sec, I think if I calibrate it right I should be able to get a semi-full scan, enough so that we can make our way through the building without too many hiccups," Henry tweaked his device a bit more.

"Fine, but I'm starting to feel like Kate felt," Will groaned.

"Well if you had not been in such a hurry to follow the bad guys I could've gotten a proper layout at the Sanctuary, but no! We had only enough time to pick up the guns and gear, climb into the van…yah Henry, you can get the layout on the way there! If we have to wait five minutes, that's do-able!" shouted Henry, frustration leaking into his voice.

"You could've told me!" shouted Will in response.

"I did! It was the first thing I said! Give me five minutes to get the layout of the building! It won't take long on these servers! That's what I said, but you wanted to follow Doc's signal before it got lost!" Henry growled.

"Don't pin this on me!" Will shouted defensively.

"Oh right, because it's never your fault, it's always mine!"

"Yah! I'm glad we agree on something!"

"Well if you're the all seeing omnipotent god that you are, why don't you do it? Go ahead Mr. Bond, dazzle me!" Henry shoved the device into Will's hands.

"I don't think I'm a god Henry," sighed Will.

"Could've fooled me, ever since you died and came back to life you've acted like you've been enlightened in the ways of the world! So prove it, walk on water oh holy one!" cried Henry.

"You have been a brat ever since you died! I'm not going to mess up this device just because you are petty and arrogant!" Will shoved the device back into Henry's hands.

"Oh, that's right, I'm the petty one, you are Prince Perfect!"

"Don't make this about me, you're the one with the faulty equipment!"

"My equipment is not faulty!"

"Well it ain't working either!"

Henry grabbed will by the head and slammed the guy's body into the car door. Will pushed back and Henry's elbow bumped into the steering wheel. The car horn honked loudly as the two boys fought, until a spotlight from the building shone onto the car.

They stopped simultaneously.

"You did it!" they accused in unison.

They heard dogs barking, and the sounds of probably many guards.

"Get out of the car!" whispered Henry, opening the door and running out into the bushes, carrying his device with him and Will following close on his heels.

"I blame you," whispered Will.

"We will talk about this at home!" growled Henry under his breath. "At least the change in position has its benefits, I am getting a clearer reading on the scans. We have our layout."

"Great work Henry," said Will.

And just like that the two had forgotten their previous altercation and began making their way towards the facility as all the guards and their dogs investigated the abandoned vehicle.

They worked well together.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22 – I'll Just Look In Your Eyes

Helen stepped outside into the warm sun, pulling her cardigan over her shoulders. There were many horses on this ranch, there were two dogs running around barking at the chickens and a lazy farm cat lounging on the fence.

She walked down the step carefully; her eyes scanned the area around her until they fell on the plaid clad man who claimed to be her husband. Nicholas looked like a rustic cowboy, handsome and tall. He was in a training circle with a black stallion, gently talking to the creature.

Helen walked up to the fenced area and leaned against the post watching him work. His long fingers combed through the dark mane of the horse.

His eyes darted to her and he smiled patting the horse in the shoulder making his way over to her.

"Good afternoon, I'd wondered when you would decide to come out of the house," he grinned, showing his white teeth.

"I didn't know you were horse whisperer," she laughed lightly.

"I have many talents," he winked.

"I would've come out sooner but I got stuck looking at all the photographs, I guess I was hoping to stir something," she sighed.

"Maybe a tour would help," he suggested.

"Maybe it would, what is this place?" she asked.

"Welcome to the Sanctuary," he stepped back, lifting his arms in a grandiose gesture.

"The Sanctuary?" the name ran familiar.

"The Horse Sanctuary, yes," he ducked through the posts of the fence to stand beside her.

"So, all these horses…"

"Aren't ours, we take in the sick, the lame, the misfits, the hyperactive, and the occasionally pregnant," he took her hand leading her away form the training circle.

"We don't own any of them?" she let him lead her.

"Well there's Lightning there and he's mine," he gestured to the black stallion he had been working with. "But mostly people bring their problem horses or we find them and we fix them."

"So, we're horse doctors?" she smirked.

"No, you're the doctor, I am the handsome horse trainer," he grinned cheekily.

"Is it just us?" Helen inquired.

"No, we have our helpers, they're around here somewhere," he led her into the large barn. "This is where we keep our special cases."

She looked into one of the pens and saw a foal with two heads, shuffling about fighting with itself.

"That's Chuck and Charlie, his owners were originally going to put him down but then we came along, he's going to be a handsome devil when he grows up," Nicholas patted the foals rear. "Chuck is the biter."

Helen laughed and reached her hand hesitantly to the foal's head.

They moved to the next horse, a white mare with beautiful green eyes.

"This is Sally, she is part mermaid," joked Nicholas.

"Really?" Helen reached her hand to the beautiful horse; Sally immediately nuzzled her nose into Helen's hands.

"No, but she'd like to be, when she sees a body of water her first reaction is to jump into it, Sally girl loves to swim," he took Helen's hand and led her further into the strange menagerie of horses.

"Hey, look whose up?" said a voice peeking from behind a horse.

"Helen, this is William, your protégé, the horse doctor's apprentice," said Nicholas.

"Still has that amnesia?" asked Will, extending his hand to Helen. "I've been working with you for 3 months, never a dull moment."

Helen shook his hand.

Will was a smart-looking man, dirty blonde hair, glasses, dressed similarly to Nicholas except with a white lab coat instead of just the normal farmer's shirt and vest Nicholas wore. The same sense of familiarity sat in her gut as she looked at him.

"It's nice to see you are feeling better, you gave us all quite scare," said Will.

"Thank you," she smiled weakly.

"Where are the others?" asked Nicholas.

"They're out there working with Big Guy," Will pointed to the far exit of the barn.

"Thanks," Nicholas headed in that direction.

"It was nice meeting you…again," Helen smiled and Will nodded his head and returned to the horse he was treating.

Helen caught up with Nicholas.

"Whose Big Guy?" asked Helen.

"Your favorite patient, you treated him long ago and he loved this place so much his owner gave him to us as a gift, he's your horse, a loyal companion," Nicholas opened the door.

"I assume by his name he is…"

"Huge, yes, very big horse, he's a bit old so don't be considered about all the grunting he makes," Helen laughed slightly at the idea of a horse grunting.

"I'm sure him and I will be very good friends," she joked.

"Oh you are, I get jealous," Nicholas joked back.

They walked to a large cornfield.

"There they are!" Nicholas pointed to somewhere in the field.

"Not just a Horse Sanctuary," she teased.

"We have many operations, that's why we have helpers, and the children," he chuckled.

"Where are they, by the way?" she looked around.

"It's a school day, Kindergarten and preschool…yeesh it feels like only yesterday that James was born," Nicholas sighed. "Ashley should be home soon, Preschool lets out at one."

Helen smiled at him.

"You're a good father," she took his arm.

"I'm glad you noticed," he chuckled.

"And so who are we going to meet now?" she asked curiously.

"Henry and Kate, Henry is our go-to fix it guy, he can repair anything, and Kate is our top wrangler, and when we have nothing to fix or wrangle they are out in the field gathering corn with the help of Big Guy," Nicholas pushed through the tall stalks of corn till they started to hear other voices and a low ninny.

"How's the corning coming?" Nicholas asked, causing two heads to turn in their direction.

"Hey, the Doc's back up!" said Henry, ignoring Nicholas.

"How's the head, Doc?" asked Kate.

"Empty, but no worse for ware," she sighed.

"Amnesia?" asked Henry.

Nicholas nodded.

"We're getting her reacquainted with everyone at the Sanctuary," Nicholas looked at Helen and smiled. "I think everything will come back soon."

Helen smiled back.

"That's good," Kate smiled as well.

Helen felt good, she knew these people, she could feel it, he earlier feeling of confusion and wariness towards this foreign place was slowly subsiding. Everything Nicholas had told her, everyone he had shown her, the names and faces, recognizable. She was grateful for his help, and his undying patience.

He loved her, and she wanted to love him to.

"Come Helen, lets leave them to their work."

Helen nodded at Nicholas.

"Get better, Doc!" waved Henry.

"Thank you," Helen waved back and followed Nicholas out of the cornfield.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Actually…I feel very comfortable…I feel like I know all these people, there's just some gaps I have to fill in," she stopped. "You have been so wonderful and patient, I have no idea what this is like for you but thank you."

She leaned over and pecked his cheek.

He smiled.

"Truth is it hasn't been easy, but I have faith that it will all work out…I have faith in you," he kissed her sweetly on the lips. Helen responded to the kiss, her hands cupping his face to deepen it. His hands gently came to her sides and held her in place. Her fingers slid down from his cheek to around his neck, her body pressing as close at it could to his. His arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her off the ground and spinning her, a surprised chuckled escaped her throat as the kiss continued.

After a moment her lowered her to the ground gently and the kiss broke. Helen smiled, her arms still around the handsome man.

"I've been wanting to do that for awhile now," he said softly.

"Me too," Helen sighed, lowering her head to his shoulder and holding him a gentle embrace. "It's going to get better," she said with renewed hope.

"They already are," he whispered into her ear before kissing the side of her head.

He took her hand again.

"Want to see the chickens?" he asked sweetly.

"I'd love to," she squeezed his hand gently and they continued to walk.

_**~~~~Reality – In the Facility~~~~**_

Nikola grunted slightly as he continued to try wrenching his hands out of their restraints, this time with the assistance of Kate.

"You pull that way!" she growled.

"I am pulling that way!" he growled back.

"No, you're pulling the wrong way! Pull the right way!" she grunted herself.

"I am pulling the right way!"

"Then pull left!" she snapped.

"Your left or mine!"

"Yours!"

Kate found herself thrown back into his shoulder, causing him to help and cease moving.

He whimpered pathetically.

"Watch where you fall!" he cried.

"I barely bumped it, stop being such a baby! I was shot in the shoulder and watched some man pry the bullet out using a pocket knife and whiskey and I didn't cry as much as you," Kate snapped.

"You don't cry, you kick people and make them cry!" he sneered.

"There has got to be another way to do this! Think! Something we haven't tried," Kate sighed.

"Do you see any sharp objects protruding out of the wall?" he asked.

"What? No!" Kate gave him an incredulous side-glance.

"Hmm," he scrunched his face into a quizzical expression.

"Wait!" Kate gasped.

"What?" he shifted to look at her.

"In my boot! I have a small knife tucked in there!" she gasped looking at her long black boot.

"And you're just remembering this NOW!" he cried.

"I rarely use it, ok! I have just in case!" she defended. "I don't know how I can get to it, maybe if I manage to kick it off…"

The zipper on the side of her boot started to lower slowly, seemingly of it's on whim, then Kate remembered who she was tied to.

"Oh, Katie," he sighed. "You do have your uses."

Kate snickered.

"Do you often entertain a girl like this?" she replied sarcastically.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he leered at her.

"Other boot, genius," she glared at him.

He scoffed and did the same to the other boot.

"Don't move, unless you want to cut yourself," he said and sure enough a few moments later the small knife floated out of her boot and behind her to where their hands were. "Just one sec…and…there!"

Kate felt her hand release from its bonds and then the other one.

"Oh thank god!" she rubbed her wrists.

Nikola stood up.

"I hate rubber," he groaned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kate stood up next to him.

"It means that my magnetic powers are useless…how they knew I…" he growled. "I hate brainwashing."

"You hate a lot of things," Kate glared.

"A lot of things hate me, I hate them back, its an ongoing relationship," he shrugged.

"That actually sadly, explains a lot," Kate muttered.

"The rubber is an excellent insulator, my magnetic powers can't get through it," he sighed. "You wouldn't happen to have some emergency C4, or detonator in your sock would you?"

"Gosh! Let me check!" replied Kate sarcastically.

"Fine! Just thought I'd ask," he raised his hands defensively.

He sighed again and rubbed his wounded shoulder.

"So, how did you lose your shirt?" asked Kate randomly.

"They stole it," he groaned at the pain in his shoulder.

"You're bleeding!" cried Kate.

"Well whose fault is that lughead!" he whined.

"Let me see," she turned him around and examined the wound; the blood was quickly soaking up the cloth.

"Ow!" he whined.

"It should be fine…until we get rescued," she sighed.

"Oh good, that means I have lots of time," he muttered.

"Tell me about it," Kate rolled her eyes.

"I can't imagine what that creep is doing to Helen," he growled to himself.

"What is he doing?" asked Kate.

"Trying to brainwash smart people for some kind of evil plot, it didn't work on me, and I don't know if it will work on Helen," he frowned slightly as he thought.

"What will happen to her if it doesn't?" Kate asked hesitantly.

"I don't know, I really don't know."

_**~~~~Elsewhere~~~~**_

Henry and Will crouched inside a closet as they read the layout for the building.

"Kate's signal is coming from here, we should meet up with her first," said Henry.

"Helen's signal is coming from here, we're closer to her! Why don't we get Helen first?" asked Will.

"Think about it, Kate is probably in a less populated area and not under guard, we meet up with her, we have more people to go in and get Helen and Nikola, who are probably under heavy guard," Henry explained.

"True, but we don't know if Kate is under guard or not, she could've been captured," said Will.

"But it is a safer bet that she isn't," Henry stood up. "I think we should find Kate first."

"Alright, we'll do that," sighed Will.

Henry pulled out his stunner.

"Just in case," he shrugged.

Will nodded in agreement and pulled out his own sidearm.

"When this day is over it will be too soon," he sighed. "After you."

"What? Why me?"

"Because you have the layout device! I don't know where I'm going!" growled Will.

"Oh right, well, I guess that makes sense," Henry shrugged.

The two of them peeked their head out the closet door to see if the coast was clear.

"You go first," said Will.

"You!" cried Henry in an exasperated whisper.

"Fine!" Will cautiously stepped out. "There is no one here, you're safe."

Henry stepped out.

"Okay…we want to go…this way," Henry pointed down the hallway.

He started heading down the direction he had pointed to; then he stopped, turned around and started heading the opposite way.

"You were reading it upside down weren't you?" laughed Will.

Henry glared at him and just kept going.

_**~~~~Elsewhere~~~~**_

Helen sat on the bed of the children's rooms, the two young things sleeping around her. She had a wonderful day with them, and Nicholas. They were truly special children, full of life and excitement. She had forgotten what being a mother felt like; she had missed it.

She had insisted upon tucking them in and reading them a bedtime story, like they had asked. How could someone not love these kids? She picked up Ashley and moved her over to her bed and drew the blankets up, lightly kissing the girl on the forehead before turning off the lamp and making her way out of the room, closing the door behind her.

She sighed to herself. She slowly went downstairs into the sitting room, pulling at her cardigan to hold in some warmth.

She peeked out the window, there was still a light on in the barn; she assumed that's where Nicholas was. She picked up the jacket on the coat rack and then stepped into the cool night air.

The area of the barn she entered was different than the area Nicholas had shown her earlier, this was more of a general barn area; it held the bridles and saddles and the hay up in the loft. She could hear the horses sleeping in the room next to this one.

"Hey!" Nicholas poked his head over the railing of the loft.

"Hey, what are you up too?" Helen smiled at him.

"Just locking up for the night, I love the view up here, come up!"

Helen laughed lightly and climbed the ladder up to the loft. She loved the smell of fresh hay; she inhaled deeply.

She got on to the loft and Nicholas was waiting for her, smiling like he always does.

He offered her his hand and helped her to her feet.

"Hey, watch your step," he chuckled, catching her as she tripped slightly.

Helen chuckled herself, enjoying his arms around her.

"This place, it's beautiful," she looked around.

"If I had to choose one place on this ranch that was the most beautiful place of all, it would be this spot," he released her once she got her footing. "But it's tied with your eyes."

Helen blushed slightly.

"I think they pale in comparison to this place," she shyed away.

She walked around the loft to the large loft window that overlooked the whole ranch as well as the beautiful night sky.

Helen sat on the windowsill and breathed in the night air.

Nicholas just watched her.

"If only I had a camera," he sighed, slowly walking up to her. "I could photograph the most beautiful sight in the world."

"The view is spectacular," she looked out and smiled.

"I wasn't talking about the view, my love, I was talking about you," he sat on the other end of the sill, his eyes fixed on hers.

Helen blushed again, he knew just what to say to twist her insides and make her feel like a teenage girl on her first date.

"There is a reason I married you, Helen, I couldn't let any other man have you," his hand came up to her cheek. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever known."

His hand dropped from her cheek and she instantly missed the warmth. She reached her own hand over to cup his chin, her fingers spreading along his jaw. She leant in and kissed him softly.

"I had to do that, you were being to sweet," she sighed as she pulled back.

"I don't mind it at all," he smiled.

"How did you propose to me?" she asked, giggling slightly.

"I've always been quite the animal lover, not just horses, I used to have pigeons, trained them to be carriers, I had this white one named Shakespeare, he looked like a dove, so I sent him to you with a message to meet me in the park where we first met and when you got there, there was I, rose in hand, in a tux that I had rented, I got down on one knee and asked you to marry me, naturally you said yes, and then fireworks blasted into the sky," he grinned as he said the last part.

"Really?" she took his hand.

"Well, there weren't really fireworks, but there might of well have been," he shrugged.

"Sounds very romantic," she sighed, looking away sadly.

"What's wrong?" he turned her face to look at him.

"Nothing, I just…feel like a stranger…I can't remember any of this, it's like its on the tip of my tongue but I can't reach it no matter how hard I try, and I've been trying so hard. I want to remember you and our children, and this perfect, wonderful life we have built together, but it's just not coming, and it's not fair to you or to Ashley and James," she felt a tear slip past her defensives and slide down her cheek.

He rubbed away the tears with the soft pad of his thumb.

"We were very frightened when you got kicked by that horse, you have no idea how lucky you are Helen, many people have died that way, it was to the side of the head, so close to the temple, my life could've ended that day…now if it takes you a few days to get back on track, I'll take it, better to lose you for a few days than to lose you for a lifetime, Helen," he kissed her softly and she kissed him back. She knew she loved him, now.

Her fingers tangled themselves into his hair as their lips and tongues met and danced with each other. The passion and desire grew in her chest and threatened to burst out of her at any minute but the soft touch of his hand creeping under the hem of her shirt, ghosting fingers over her skin, focused that raw energy to other places within her.

Without warning she found herself swept off the sill and into his strong arms; she let out a squeak as it happened. He chuckled against her lips.

Nicholas carried his love over to the hay bed and gently lowered her into the soft straw. The kiss broke but moments later his lips were back on hers kissing a trail from her jaw to her ear, all she could think about was how much she wanted his shirt off right now.

He let her unbutton his vest and shirt as his hand left the sensitive skin of her stomach to rest on her hip, hugging it close to his.

She draped her arms over his shoulder and around her neck so her hand scooped into the hair on the back of his neck; in the process she managed to push his shirt of his shoulder and he aided in the rest.

His chest was bare before hers and she ran the nails of one hand over the lines of muscle on his torso, all the way down to his pants line.

His lips reached her neck and she gasped, the sensation all too familiar, and strangely erotic. That point in the neck meant something between them and the more he kissed it the more her mind exploded with need for this man. She lolled her head back to give him more access to that sensitive spot. From that position she could still see the night sky through the lofts window. She slowly closed her eyes and just felt, a deep moan coming from somewhere inside.

As soon as she closed her eyes her mind was full of visions. She saw a man, it was Nicholas, but then again it wasn't, he was different.

His hair was darker and stood on end in dark, playful spikes, his grin was wider and spoke of trouble, and his eyes, it was like they had electricity sparking inside them, every blink they became brighter and more powerful; more captivating.

He moved gracefully, like a leopard, stalking and slithering; every movement was like liquid, every gesture mischievous and taunting.

He opened his mouth to speak and her breath hitched in her throat.

"_I brought you here for two reasons…"_

The image flashed to her kissing this Nicholas, a brief kiss but one that she could feel speed her heart rate up.

"_Because only you can help me finish what I'm working on…"_

Helen reached out for him, wanting to feel him; touch him; respond to him.

Her grips on Nicholas' hair grew tighter as he started to move with her, like waves bringing ripple after ripple of drowning pleasure.

"_And because I love you…"_

She muffled her final cry into Nicholas's shoulder, cracking her eyes open as she fought to regain her composure and a normal breathing rate.

Nicholas pulled a horse blanket over them and wrapped his arms around her, kissing into her hair.

"Oh, Helen," he mumbled, holding her close.

"Nikola…las," she corrected herself, feeling flustered.

She shifted in his arms to look at him, into his eyes.

"You are so beautiful," he said to her.

She kept looking into his eyes. They weren't the ones she saw in her vision. They were hollow, a low sinking feeling seeped into her as she looked into his eyes.

The feeling of doubt she had earlier came back full force.

If these weren't the same eyes she remembered, this couldn't be the same man.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23 – Something Silent This Way Comes

"_Helen."_

"Yes!"

"_Helen…"_

"Tell me what you want!"

Helen screamed, surrounded by black and this soft, ominous voice calling out to her.

"What do you want from me?" she cried.

"_Helen."_

"Answer me!" she nearly tore her hair out in frustration.

"Helen."

The voice suddenly entered into her present, losing it's disembodied quality. She spun around and came face to face with the man in her dreams. He was close to her; she could almost feel the warmth emanating from his body.

"Who are you?" she asked, looking into his eyes.

"Kiss me and I'll save your life," he said softly then grinned at her.

"What?" she asked in a breathy voice.

"Kiss me and I'll save your life," he repeated.

"And if I don't?" she asked involuntarily.

He just kept grinning in response.

"I brought you here for two reasons, because only you can help me finish what I'm working on and because I love you," he took her hand gently in his; so gentle she almost didn't notice it.

"I've heard that before, you've said that to me before, haven't you? But who are you?" she asked the man, staring into his blue-grey eyes. She could see the electricity in those eyes.

"Hold me close," he pulled her to him, right into his arms, mere inches away from his face. "And either way…I'll die a happy man."

"What your saying…it doesn't make any sense, I don't know what you want, please tell me," Helen reached her hands up and cupped his face.

"Remember Helen," he whispered into her ear, his voice sending shivers down her spine.

"Remember what?" she asked.

"Remember me," he lightly kissed the side of her head.

She took one last look into those eyes before he released her and stepped back into the shadows, disappearing just as quickly as he had appeared.

"Wait!" she called out. "Who are you? How am I supposed to remember when I don't know?"

Helen's eyes snapped open, the smell of hay filling her nostrils.

It was a dream, she sighed in relief. She clutched the blanket to her chest as she sat up. Clothes rested nearby and she picked them up, covering herself up against the cool air of the night.

She looked over beside her and saw Nicholas, sleeping peacefully. She leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. He stirred slightly underneath her lips but didn't wake. She just smiled and went back to the window; it was still dark outside, barely past midnight. She looked out on the house, thinking about the two innocent children sleeping inside.

She looked back at Nicholas.

The man in her dreams told her to remember, remember something, as if her dream couldn't be any more ironic. What bugged her was that the Nicholas she dreamt of felt more real to her than the one she had woken up to, like they were the same people but her heart wanted the alternate one more than the real one. It tore at her.

Nicholas was the perfect husband, what any girl dreams about. He was sweet, romantic, handsome, patient, intelligent, funny, and he treated her like she was the queen of his world, yet in her dream, he was fiery and passionate, yet devious and mysterious, a dangerous quality in the way he smiled at her. It made her heart skip beats and her breath threaten to return back to her lungs and hide there.

Every thing still felt so confusing; she wanted to love Nicholas, but the dream one was so different, she couldn't stop thinking about what he said to her, the way he spoke to her. Like it killed him to be even an inch away from her.

She heard rustling and realized Nicholas had awakened.

She turned back to the open window.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hey," she acknowledged not turning to look at him.

"Is something wrong?" he sat up, scrubbing a hand over his face.

"No, I just couldn't sleep," she shrugged.

"Bad dreams?" he asked.

"No, just…things more confusing than I can handle right now," she heard him put on his pants and walk over to her.

"Helen, they're just dreams, that what you have to remember, they're only dreams," her put his hands on her shoulders.

"Remember," she scoffed. "I can't even remember this reality, how am I supposed to distinguish between what's real and what's a dream?"

"Then don't. Remember me, and how I look and how I feel, and the kids, remember them and how much they love you," he wrapped his arms around her waist. "You only have to remember."

"That's what I keep hearing in my dreams, I want to remember, so badly, I just can't," she blinked away a stray tears.

"This is my fault, I'm guilting you into trying to restore our old life, I assure you it was not my intention," he cradled her gently. "I just wanted my wife back, I'm sorry."

Helen turned in his arms.

"Don't be," she whispered to him. "You have been so wonderful, I know I love you, and our children, that's why I let it happen. I don't blame you at all."

She reached up and gave him a chaste kiss, brief and sweet.

"Thank you," he smiled.

Helen raised a hand to cup his cheek, her thumb skimming across the skin in small gentle movements. She looked in his eyes as she did this, looking for that electricity, for that need she had seen in her dreams.

Nicholas gave her nothing, his eyes remained dull, and his face remained still, this action meant nothing to him, he felt nothing from it.

"We should head back to the house, get a proper night's sleep in a proper bed," he took her hand from his face and held it gently in his.

"Right, and the kids will be up in a few hours," she added.

"Right, wouldn't want to give them a scare," he finished.

Helen nodded and took her hand from his and went to the ladder to climb down from the loft, Nicholas following behind her.

She shivered as she opened the door to the barn.

"Here," he handed her his coat.

"Oh I had one…earlier…I think," she sighed.

"We'll find it later, take this for now," he draped it over her shoulders.

"Thank you," she hugged it close.

He threw on his shirt and buttoned it up hastily as he made his way to the house.

Helen followed cautiously, but not so much as to be suspicious to her so-called husband.

She got to the porch steps and heard her name, like a whisper so faint it could've been easily mistaken for the wind.

"_Helen…"_

She stopped and turned around sharply. Her voice lunged to call out but her mouth shut it before it made it past her throat.

Then she saw him, dressed all in black with that mischievous grin on his face. He swaggered out into the middle of the lawn, his hand held on his hip while the other delicately held a class of blood red wine swinging between his fingers with each step. The light in his eyes were as bright as stars, and accentuated his mystery.

"Hello Helen," he grinned.

Helen resisted the urge to go to him; to bring herself closer to this captivating madman.

"It's not real, Helen, _he's not real…" _his voicefelt like a ghost, haunting and possessing her mind, her thoughts, her dreams.

He lifted the glass of red wine to his lips and sipped it, her eyes following his tongue.

"Remember me, Helen," his image suddenly flashed and he was mere inches from her, his eyes locked with her. He had changed, his dark hair slicked back and his suit black with a long tailcoat. He had a mustache over his lip, but despite all the changes his eyes were unmistakable, they belonged to no other.

"Just tell me your name, please," she pleaded with him.

"You know my name, remember it!" his voice changed, a thick accent blanketed it, but it was the same voice all the same; the same man.

"N-Nikola?" she gasped.

Her vision blurred, and for an instant she felt like she was drowning, she felt a box all around her, felt cold water, like a brief but terrifying hallucination.

Then the world was back to normal.

"Helen, are you coming in?" she heard Nicholas' voice, and then his hand on her shoulder.

"Y-yes, I just…thought I heard something, must've been the wind," she turned to him.

"Maybe you should get some rest," he looked concerned and led her inside.

"Yes, that's probably wise," she chanced one last glance outside before the door shut completely.

As she lied in the bed upstairs she realized something she hadn't before, the silence, the deafening unnatural silence of this place; whatever this place was. She had to get out. Had to get away from the silence.

_**~~~~Reality~~~~**_

Nikola paced back and forth through the room, his face fixed into a thoughtful frown.

"Will you stop that? It's driving me crazy!" snapped Kate.

"If I stand still I go crazy, don't watch me if it's bugging you," he shrugged her off and kept pacing.

"Is there a way we can cut through the rubber to get to the metal? I mean, we have a knife!" she exclaimed, holding the knife.

"It's stuck on with an adhesive, if anything we stab it I could get a minimal current through but not enough, it would barely be enough to shake it," he groaned.

"So we stab it multiple times," suggested Kate sardonically.

"No, you're not getting it, the adhesive acts as a barrier in its self, the room is completely insulated by rubber, it's…oh nevermind!" he sighed.

"So we stab the knife in and use the knife as a conductor," said Kate.

"There is no where for the electricity to go! At most the knife will back fire and shock me!" he groaned, still pacing.

"Then use the knife to cut a bigger patch out!" cried Kate.

"You are not understanding what I'm saying!" he growled. "Your dumb ideas are not helping me and they certainly won't save Helen!"

"Stop pacing!" Kate moved and slapped him in the shoulder, nearly crippling him to the floor.

"Yeeeow!" Nikola cried and turned to face her. "Stop. Hitting. Me!"

"Stop giving me reasons to!" Kate shouted back.

"You are so…so…mean!" Nikola glared at her.

"Oh, I'm crushed, going to take me awhile to recover from that one!" she replied sarcastically.

She smacked him across the chin, he smacked her back; she returned it with a harder slap. Nikola grabbed her in a headlock to keep her from hitting him. Kate grunted angrily and reached her hand up to his bandaged shoulder and pressed down on his wound.

"OW! OW! OW!" he yelped but refused to let go, just resorting to holding tighter.

"Let go and I'll stop!" she growled.

"No! You'll just hit me again!"

"No I won't but I will if you don't let me go!" she brought her heeled boot down on his foot.

He grinded his teeth but twisted his leg around her and knocked her on to the ground and sat on top of her using her legs to pin her and her arms down.

"This is not helping Helen! So you are going to stop hitting me…at least not in the same spot and I will not tell Helen to put you on pooper-scooper duty, got it?" he glared at her.

"Ugh, not pooper-scooper duty," groaned Kate.

"The more we fight the less chance we have of saving Helen, and you have no idea what it is like in that world they put you in…I won't let Helen get lost there," he looked sincere and Kate relented.

"You really care about the Doc, don't you?" she sighed.

"Wouldn't be here if I didn't," he relented and released her arms.

"Fine, you have a deal, I won't hurt you and you won't tell the Doc," he nodded, and let out a long exasperated sigh.

"So where do we start?" he mumbled.

A sudden cough came from the side and they turned their head simultaneously to face Will and Henry at the entrance; they were staring at them funny.

Nikola looked down to see he was still straddling Kate.

"Dude…awkward," muttered Henry.

"This is not what it looks like," defended Nikola, immediately standing up and off of Kate.

"Absolutely not!" cried Kate getting up and moving away from him.

"Dude, where's your shirt?" asked Henry.

"The bad guys took it," Nikola whined.

"Really? That's the best you can come up with?" Will raised an eyebrow.

"Don't give me that look, you're not my father," Nikola glared at the two of them.

"He's right, it was nothing, just an altercation," Kate crossed her arms.

"Really? Who won?" asked Will.

"I did," said Nikola before Kate could answer.

Henry snickered.

"I bet you did," Henry said, muffling his laughter.

"Enough of this! Helen needs our help! Thanks for the rescue by the way, it would've been more helpful about an hour ago," Nikola barked and moved past the two of them.

"Whoa, dude, talk about mood swings," muttered Henry.

"What happened to your shoulder?" asked Will, following Nikola.

"Don't touch it!" Nikola spun around quickly.

"I wasn't going to, I just asked if…"

"I had to undergo some gorilla surgery in a hallway, it's nothing a little wine and sedative won't fix," Nikola held his hands up defensively, just in case someone tried to hit him. "Just don't touch it."

"Understood," said Will condescendingly.

"Ok, now, I assume you have a layout of this place," he asked.

"Yes, and we are tracking Helen's signal," Henry handed him the device.

"Good boys," Nikola grinned taking the small device and looking at its screen. "We have to get to Helen, quickly. You three loop around and wait at the entrance until you receive a signal from me, be alert for any of our German friend's goons, if you see them, stun them, and then hide them in a closet," ordered Nikola.

"Since when did you become leader of this operation?" asked Henry.

"Since I am the only one who knows what we're dealing with! Trust me!" Nikola pleaded, the humor they had held gone in an instant.

"Alright," said Will.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You can't go alone!" Kate stood up to Nikola.

"Yes I can, if they've done to Helen what I think they have, she is going to be hard to reason with, I would rather not give her multiple targets!" said Nikola.

"What are you talking about?" asked Will.

"Just go around and do as I say, just this once," Nikola handed the device back to them.

"Wait! Don't you need it!" said Henry, his face slightly flustered.

"I have an eidetic memory! Its all up in here," Nikola tapped his temple and snatched the weapon from Henry's belt, then quietly made his way down the hall. Heading for Helen.

The door to the lab where Helen was, was open. Nikola stopped just outside, listening carefully.

"She's ready Dr. Grotenberg," said Karl.

"All right, get her on the bio-sensor table immediately, I want her ready as soon as possible," ordered Hans.

Karl nodded and he and several scientists moved to the tank and lifted Helen out of it and on to that strange gizmo that Nikola had woken up on.

They exited out a door on the other side of the room, Hans lingering behind to admire Helen.

Suddenly Karl ran back in.

"They've escaped!" he cried.

"What? How?" Hans growled.

"I don't know, but they're gone, escaped!" Karl ran up to Hans and Hans turned to him.

"This Tesla is starting to get on my nerves! Next time you see him, put him down! I don't care how valuable he is! If we have to send him to the boss frozen like a popsicle we'll do it!"

"And the girl?"

"Kill her."

Karl nodded and ran back out, Hans following shortly after.

As soon as they were gone Nikola peeked his head through the door. A few scientists remained, monitoring Helen. He would have to remove them first. With his magnet power he sent out interference to disrupt the video feeds and monitors in the room. He lifted his hand and a metal bar floated into the air.

"Hey! What the?" said one scientist before the bar spun and knocked him out cold. The other turned, hearing the commotion only to be hit square in the eyes. He went down just as easily. Soon all the others were lying unconscious on the floor; Nikola checked to make sure they wouldn't wake up on him. He stunned all of them for good measure and stole some zip ties to keep them out of trouble.

He turned to Helen and carefully walked up to her in case she went psycho on him again. She seemed to be still very much under the effects of the serum. He shuddered; it was a horrible dream world, everything you wanted and everything you feared flaunted in front of you then hastily torn from your fingers, and it feels real, it felt so incredibly real to him which made it all terribly confusing.

He looked down at Helen.

What horrible images was her mind showing her, what tricks was the serum putting her under?

He leaned down, bringing his face just mere inches away from hers.

"Helen, I'm here Helen," he whispered to her. "Don't listen to the dream, it's not real! I don't know what you're seeing or what it's doing to you, but it's not real! You know it isn't real, but you know I am, come back Helen! Think back to Oxford, back to that day when we met. You were so beautiful, like an angel. Every time you laughed by heart skipped a beat. I had never known what love was until I saw you and knew that you were the only woman I would ever care about," Nikola reached down and grabbed her hand. "That's why you have to wake up, Helen. Wake up Helen!"

_**~~~~In Helen's Mind~~~~**_

Helen woke up suddenly; springing up in the bed She fought to inhale a new breath.

Her dreams were becoming more and more vivid, making it harder to distinguish from their reality to hers.

The bed shifted beside her as Nicholas woke up beside her.

"Good morning," he groaned sitting up.

Helen took a moment to acknowledge him, still lost in thought.

"Yes, uh, good morning," she said finally.

"What would you like for breakfast?" he swung his legs over and stood up.

"No, uh, I'll make breakfast," Helen blinked.

"It's unnecessary, Helen," he sighed.

"No, but I want to, you have been so good to me, let me do something in return," she stood up and moved around the bed to face him.

"Alright, if that's what you want, I'm sure the kids would be delighted to cook with you again," he smiled.

"I'm assuming you like your bacon crispy?" she teased.

"Almost burnt," he laughed.

"You shower and get ready, I'll put on the apron," Helen smiled.

"I hope you'll wear more than that," he joked as he went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

Helen's smile dropped immediately when the door clicked closed.

She dressed in silence before making her way down to the kitchen.

The children came down shortly after, all dressed and ready.

"Mummy!" cried Ashley, running up and hugging her. "You're making breakfast!"

"Yes," Helen smiled sadly at the beautiful little girl.

"Why are you sad, mummy?" the little girl asked.

"I just missed you two very much, and I hope you forgive me," Helen kissed the side of the girl's head.

"Forgive you for what?" asked James, looking at her seriously.

"For not being here," Helen looked up at the boy.

"We have to catch the bus to go to school, come on Ash," he took his sisters hand and dragged her away, looking suspiciously at Helen.

"I'm going to miss you," said Helen, looking into James eyes just as sternly.

He was reading her like an open book, such a smart kid.

Helen stood up from where she was kneeling and turned to the pan of frying bacon and shifted it around aimlessly with her fork.

"Where did the kids go?" asked Nicholas as he came down the stairs.

"Went for the bus, I've made a pot of coffee if you want a cup," she secretly tucked a sharp steak knife into the strap of her apron.

"Thanks…did they say goodbye?" he went over to the machine and poured a cup.

"Yes, hugs and kisses and all," Helen nodded, keeping focused on the bacon.

"_Helen, wake up…"_

She scrunched her brows together as she heard that familiar ghostly voice calling to her.

"How were they feeling?" Nicholas asked.

"Probably like I do, confused, scared, concerned…especially since none of this is real," Helen's tone changed, it was darker, heavier than usual.

"Helen? What do you mean by that?" he looked at her with concern.

"None of this is real! Not this house! Not this farm! Not this bacon!" she tossed the pan on to the floor. "And not you!"

She turned to him, stepping close; mere inches away.

"I can see it! In your eyes! You're artificial! A fake! You don't love me! You can't love!" she cried, looking straight into the dull, lifeless eyes.

"Helen, of course I love you!" Nikola sighed.

"No you don't!" she grasped his head with both hands on either side of his face. "This contact doesn't affect you! Me being this close means nothing to you! I could be a dog for all you care! Your heart doesn't race, you don't lean in to my touch, you don't even hold me closer, you just stand there and take it!"

"Helen, I…"

"Your eyes used to speak to me! They told me everything I wanted to know! Everything you were feeling! They sparked as if lightning were cracking inside them! But they don't and that's how I know! You are a trick!"

Nicholas struggled trying to get away.

"Helen, there is nothing wrong with my eyes, this is from the bump to the head, let me go and we'll get into the car and we'll go see the doctor," he said calmly.

"I don't need a doctor! What I need is for me to WAKE UP!" she screamed.

"You're awake Helen! How can you not tell? You're awake! You're awake! YOU'RE AWAKE!" he screamed back.

"NO I AM NOT!" she watched his eyes widen as she stabbed him in the abdomen with her concealed knife. Blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth as he gasped.

"H-Helen! W-what have you done?" he stepped away from her looking down at the knife protruding from his torso.

Helen stared in wide-eyed shock as he fell back and on to the floor, pulling out the implement and dropping it on the ground. She felt hot tears fall down her cheeks as she watched him, slowly bleeding to death.

"I'm sorry, Nicholas," she sobbed. "I have to do this."

She felt a hand slip into hers and she turned to see the man; the man in her dreams!

He grinned at her with bright twinkling eyes.

"This way, my lady," he led her away from the now empty spot on the kitchen floor.

He opened the front door but the ranch and all it's picture perfect scenery was gone, all that was left was an inky blackness.

Helen turned to the man.

"What do I do now?" she asked.

He turned to face her, leaning in to softly kiss her; a sweet chaste kiss, se could barely feel his lips on hers.

"Remember Oxford, Helen?" he asked, so gently, it might've been a whisper.

"Oxford?" she searched his eyes for the answer.

"Where we met?" he kept talking. "You were so beautiful."

"You…you were very handsome, it was before you had that mustache, you were in the park," he closed her eyes as she spoke. "Oxford Park, by the college. You were feeding the birds."

"Go on," he whispered again.

"We use to study underneath the willow tree during the warm fall days, the leaves fell every where, you liked to lie your head on my lap and trace circles on my arms, you always claimed you were designing the next great invention and needed my arm to act as a blueprint," she laughed lightly. It all felt so real she could feel the sun on her face; hear the flutter of birds and the swaying of grass, the trickle of the pond as a rock was thrown into it's clear surface.

She heard a laugh in the distance, it was familiar…it was her own, if a little younger.

"Nikola, I am not a sketchpad!" she heard herself say through her whimsical giggles.

"Au contraire, my dear, you are the perfect sketchpad!" she heard his voice.

"You're not even using a pencil!" she sighed.

"I don't need one, this is a mental sketchpad! Though you can't see what I am drawing I can!" she could tell he was grinning. Helen opened her eyes and saw it all before her.

He lied on the ground with his head in her lap, tracing the small intricate designs on her forearm.

She leaned against the trunk of the old willow, her long blonde curls pinned up and her hat lying on the ground beside her. Nikola had given up his coat for her to sit on and was lying in his shirt and vest, sleeves rolled up.

"It tickles, Nikola!" cried the younger Helen.

"I'm sorry," he lifted her lily-white wrist to his lips and kissed it lightly. "I'll finish my designs later."

"Helen, I'm here," came a voice behind her and she turned away from the memory to face it. "I am here, all you have to do is wake up!"

"Nikola?" she felt her heart skip a beat as he stood only a foot away from her. "What if I can't find you?"

"You'll find me," he smiled at her.

His hands came to rest on her hips.

"I am not that far away, Helen, all you have to do is take the plunge," he brought his head around to her ear. "I'll be waiting."

She shivered slightly from the sensation of his voice blowing over her ear.

Without warning the hand on her hips pushed her roughly and she felt herself fall, and land with a splash. Her eyes sprung open, her mouth gaped and drew in a rough ragged breath. Arms came around her, and a face came into her view.

"Helen! Helen! It's ok!" Nikola stood above her, hands on her arms. She shivered at the cold air hit you.

"N-Nikola?" she gasped.

"Welcome to the real world," he grinned.

"What the bloody hell was that?" she coughed.

"They had you in the tank, but you're alright now," her held her in his arms comfortingly.

"I dreamt that…everyone was there…but it wasn't right, I kil…" she stopped herself and looked at him. "How do I know if you're real?"

"You don't, that's what sucks," said Nikola.

Helen suddenly cupped his cheek, stroking the smooth skin. His first reaction was of slight surprise but in a moment he leaned into her touch, nuzzling her hand. His eyes sparkled with light as he did so and Helen felt her heart settle.

"This is real," she said confidently.

He smiled and leaned down and kissed her; the softest of kisses, her heart threatened to beat out of her chest.

"Let's get you out of here," Nikola scooped her up in his arms and lifted her off the device.

She was back in the black bikini again, which left her exposed in enough skin to graze against his strong chest. She shivered again, and it wasn't because she was cold.

Nikola draped another lab coat over her shoulders; he had stolen it from one of the scientist's he had disarmed earlier.

"The others aren't far away, we'll be out of here in no time," said Nikola encouragingly.

"That's good," she slipped her arms through the sleeves and hugged the coat close to her. She noticed the tank in the room. "Was I in that?"

Nikola nodded.

"Not fun, is it?" he said calmly.

Helen shook her head.

"It's bloody awful," she concurred. "May I ask you something, forgive me if it's random."

"Sure," Nikola shrugged.

"Do you like horses?" she asked.

"What those majestic four legged creatures that ride the wind and valley of every western film to ever grace the screens?" he said dramatically.

"Yes."

"Heck no, those dirt-ridden fleabags, hate them," he scrunched up his face in arrogant disgust. "Make wonderful glue though."

Helen laughed.

"Good to know," she smiled at him.

"Is it important?" he asked.

"No, just had to ask," she sighed.

"Now the real question is, do you like cows, and how do you like them, rare, medium, or well done?" he asked.

"Are you planning on taking me to dinner?" she teased.

"I think 48 hours stuck in a water tank has earned me the right to be a little peckish, we can always order in from that Alphaghetti's, or whatever it's called," he shrugged.

"Alfredo's?" she quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Unless you are more into getting a quick bite then we could always go to MacDonalds, one of 12 convenient locations!" he joked.

"Oh, god no, I do have standards!" she laughed.

"Subway?"

"First thing we're going to do is patch up that shoulder of yours before it bleeds all over the place, then we'll discuss having a late night dinner," sighed Helen.

"You used to have that wonderful cook back in London, made a delicious meat pie," Nikola wandered off in his own little world. "Whatever happened to him?"

"Old age," snickered Helen.

"Shame…" he sighed when he realized she was finished dressing herself. "We should go, shouldn't we?"

Helen was about to nod when she heard a wave of clicking come from behind her.

"Not so fast!" cried Hans.

A man stood beside him; dark and authoritative.

"This is what you wanted to show me Dr. Grotenberg?" asked the man.

"This, sir, is Mr. Nikola Tesla, the Nikola Tesla, inventor of Alternating current, and the radio, allegedly."

"Not allegedly, it's fact! Marconi just happened to steal the designs and patent it first," growled Nikola bitterly.

"This is Dr. Helen Magnus, she was under the influence, but the genius snapped her out of it," Hans glared at Nikola. "They are both over a hundred years old, Boss."

The Boss stared at them, his interest piqued.

"How old?" he asked for clarification.

"Around 165, sir," said Hans.

"I beg your pardon, I am only 160!" cried Helen indignantly.

"Yah, and she doesn't look a day over 135!" added Nikola.

"Grab them!" ordered Hans and his goons came over and kicked Nikola and Helen to their knees.

"Dr. Grotenberg, you promised me a new innovation in mind control, that is what I came here to see," said the Boss seriously.

"Yes, and I plan to deliver!" said Hans.

"Ha!" cried Nikola. "He's got nothing, this so-called innovation in mind control has one fatal fluke in it! It can be cracked, and it doesn't take hypnotism and incense to do it! It's a failed experiment!"

"Shut up!" snarled Hans, slamming his fist into Nikola's stomach. "What I'm offering you sir, is the two most brilliant minds in the world," Hans turned to the Boss. "Tesla here is a genius inventor, and Dr. Magnus here or the foremost expert on the physiology of many creatures."

"How can you guarantee their cooperation?" asked the Boss.

"Easy, he loves her, she loves him, threaten to kill them and I promise you neither of them will let the other die," said Hans with an evil laugh.

Helen shrugged.

"I don't mind, kill him, he's a thorn in my side anyways," she said casually.

"Oh I'm the thorn! You who shows up every time I achieve success and then you take it! Claiming world security!" he complained back.

"If you would stop trying to take over the world I wouldn't have to!" she growled.

"Maybe if you didn't go and get engaged to Jack the Ripper! I wouldn't be trying to take over the world!"

"What has that got anything to do with anything?"

"Well if I can't have you, why can't I have the world?"

"That is ridiculous!"

"Enough!" shouted Hans and the two stilled. "They are trying to manipulate you, sir."

"Quiet, Hans!" shouted the Boss. "I don't care for the man, genius or not, he does not impress me…but the woman, she is a rare beauty. A beauty that will last forever, no?" he stepped up to Helen. "I've heard much about you, Helen Magnus; the woman who lives forever. Your blood will make me last forever, it's unique that way."

Nikola watched, disgusted by the way he was leering at her.

"Kill him," the boss looked at Nikola and Helen's eyes darted fearfully to him as the guard grabbed him by the shoulder, earning a strangled yelp from Nikola. "Kill him right here."

Helen gasped and grabbed the man's arm.

"Please, don't hurt him! I'll go if you don't hurt him!" she pleaded.

"Will you now?" smirked the Boss.

Helen's eyes locked with Nikola's.

"Yes, but only if you let him leave here alive!" she looked back at him.

"What? So he can track you down and rescue you, killing me in the process. I may not be a genius, my dear, but I am no idiot either," he sighed. "Kill him, take his heart out, preserve his brain, it will make a nice trophy."

"No!" cried Helen.

"The heart I'll give to you, since it seems to belong to you, already," laughed the Boss.

Helen glared at him.

"You bastard!" she moved to attack him but was beaten down by the guards.

"Helen, it's ok, really," said Nikola, his voice was shaky. It crushed Helen's heart to hear him sound so scared.

"Nikola," she whimpered.

"My life has a habit of giving me luck and then taking it away, why my death should be any different…" Helen saw that he was fighting his own tears; he kept his eyes fixed on hers.

"Nikola, no…" cried Helen.

"I finally get close to the woman I have loved for way too long and then you guys show up," he turned his gaze to the rest of them. "Well I am sick of being the world's punching bag! I let Edison and Marconi walk all over my dreams and I have seen even bigger men than you fall for smaller things!"

"Enough of this! Kill him!" ordered Hans.

"The saddest thing is that you don't realize you're already dead," Nikola glared at them. Suddenly all the sharp metal objects in the room lifted up and circled around the group menacingly.

Helen gasped and looked into Nikola's eyes again, they seemed dark, like they got when he was angry; dark and red. All of the men, including Hans and the Boss backed away from the armada of floating implements, ready to kill anyone who even moved cross-eyed.

Helen scrambled to her feet and moved behind Nikola.

The men cowered as their backs hit the wall, and their guns clamped shut.

"Please! Don't kill us!" pleaded Hans.

Nikola snarled and the objects shook violently; the men whimpered and cowered, afraid of the oncoming slaughter.

The army of metal picked up speed and started to fly towards the men, like an army on the charge.

"Nikola! NO!" cried Helen.

In an instant all the objects dropped, lifeless, on the floor.

A man fainted.

Nikola turned to Helen, like a child who had just done something wrong.

"I'm sorry, Helen," he said sadly.

"It's ok," she caressed his cheek gently.

In that moment, Kate, Henry, and Will ran in holding their stunners at the crowd.

"Everybody! Nose to the floor, hands behind your back, put your guns to the side, and don't try anything cute!" shouted Kate.

"This building has been targeted, and the place is surrounded, you are all under arrest for kidnapping and abduction with charges for illegal testing, and attempted murder!" bluffed Will, using the knowledge he had gained working for the police force.

"Ooh, that much?" said Kate.

"We might throw in a charge for human trafficking as well as not playing the electrical bill," joked Will.

"You guys are busted, so let me see them hands!" Kate and Henry proceeded to zip tie everyone in the room.

Will walked up to Helen.

"Back up is on the way, I'm sure Declan can find a nice cozy little spot to toss these jerks away in," smirked Will.

"Good work, Will," smiled Helen.

"Big Guy is on his way to pick you two up and take you back to the Sanctuary, we've got everything covered down here," said Will.

Nikola kept his eyes down and didn't say a word.

"Thank you Will," Helen nodded and led Nikola out of the room.

Nikola kept his lips tightly closed, his shoulders hunched. She put a hand on his arm.

"Nikola," she said softly.

"Don't, Helen, it's over and done with, let's just forget about it," he huffed.

"You did nothing wrong, Nikola," she said sternly.

"It's just…it's just been an off day, can we go please?" he asked, his eyes downcast still.

Helen nodded sadly.

"Alright," she sighed and followed him out of the facility to the Sanctuary chopper waiting outside, ready to take them back home.

Nikola was silent the whole trip. Helen really disliked the sound of silence.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24 – The End

Helen wandered through the halls of the sanctuary. They were dark and quiet, the only sound coming from the sleeping occupants behind closed doors.

Today had been so topsy-turvy; what started out as a simple rescue mission ended up being an incredibly difficult game of cat and mouse, getting her trapped in a dumbwaiter shaft, smooshed in a closet, making duct tape bandages, having her end up half naked on a souped-up gurney, and all the while Nikola was being Mr. Frank-and-honest! Then there was that dream world. It still sent shivers up her spine. But even in her dream she wanted Nikola to save her.

Helen sighed. They were home now; nothing could possibly go wrong. The team had gotten back about an hour ago from bagging the bad guys. Declan had called the authorities claiming they were doing illegal testing on humans, which wasn't a far shot from the truth. All of the people working on this project would be given a fair trial, with a sentence anywhere from 5-25 years with chance of parole. None would be allowed to work in science ever again. The Boss would be put away for longer depending on how much of his operations he is willing to sell out to cut down prison time. Hans would probably break and confess the whole thing. All in all, a successful mission in her books.

Her team had definitely earned their rest tonight, but she knew one person who was not sleeping. She walked quietly, careful not to make a sound.

She opened the door to his quarters. The fire still burned strong and hot, the bed was made, and he stood in front of the large windows, looking out at the night sky.

"You always did pick this room because of the view," she broke the silence.

He turned his head to acknowledge her.

"Well, you wouldn't let me have the room next to yours," he chuckled dryly.

"I was afraid I'd find holes in my wall, or unwanted guests in the middle of the night," she teased.

"And that didn't excite you, not even a little bit?" he teased back.

"How's the shoulder?" she asked, changing the subject.

"It hurts, but nothing I can't handle," he shrugged.

"That's good."

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked, changing the subject once again.

"No, every time I think about it…I don't want to get lost there again," Helen pulled her cardigan tighter around her. "You?"

"The same, I close my eyes and see all those faces; I was this close to killing them all, if you weren't there to stop me, I don't know wha-"

Helen put a hand on his chest.

"It's alright, Nikola, the thing is you didn't what does it matter if you could. You have always been capable of doing so much damage, it's why the government hunted you, and the Cabal, but what makes you a better person, a good man, is your ability to restrain yourself from that evil," she caressed his cheek.

"It's one of the reasons I love you," she smiled softly.

"Really?" he asked, his eyes widening like a young child.

She nodded.

"You are my hero, Nikola," she smirked at the cheesy line.

"And you couldn't even say it with a straight face," he joked, leaning down to kiss her. She let him. It was just a small kiss; neither of them was quite willing to lose control just yet.

Helen wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him close.

Nikola sighed, the heaviness in his heart slowly lifting because of her.

"I do love you," she said softly.

"You do?" he looked over his shoulder and saw something out of the corner of his eye. It was a small African boy, the boy he had tried to save in the summit. But that had been a dream, hadn't it? He never reached the summit, hadn't he?

He stepped back to look at Helen.

"Nikola, what's wrong?" Helen was surprised at his sudden retraction.

"I-I don't know," he felt behind him and the bandage and wound that had been on his shoulder was gone.

Helen changed suddenly flashing into the white-robed angel that he envisioned her.

"Nikola, you can't give up on yourself, you give up then you die," she said.

"What?"

"You were giving up, so I tricked you, to keep you alive."

"I'm still on the summit, aren't I? I'm still lying there blind and alone!" he cried.

"No, not alone, alive!" she caressed his cheek.

Suddenly the window filled with light.

"See, that's them, wake up Nikola!"

"What if I don't want to wake up? What if I want to stay here with you?" he took her hands.

"You can't run away, Nikola, that's not in your nature," she looked at him gently. "Besides, you can never be truly happy here."

"But there's only misery for me out there, Helen will never feel the same way for me, at least here I can pretend…"

"Nikola! You wake up and you live!" she grabbed the sides of his head. "The real Helen is there, and if you give up she will be alone! You hear me!"

He nodded; a little scared by how angry she was.

"I do love you," she whispered before kissing him strongly and passionately, it sucked the air right out of his lungs.

"See you on the other side!" she smiled at him before pushing him through the window, the glass shattered and Nikola fell and kept falling; a single splash into a deep pool. He felt like he was drowning, and he struggled to swim to the surface, but he fought against the thick water. He could see the light of the surface and he moved towards it. Long shadows reached up from the depths to grab at his feet and drag him back down. He kicked them off, swimming hard, despite his lack of air, but he saw the lights, he heard the soft thrumping of the helicopter. He swam to it faster, using all his energy to get through.

Nikola opened his cracked his eyes open. He could see.

"Nikola!" he heard a voice. "It's ok we've got you!"

He groaned, a little disoriented.

He was in strapped to a medical stretcher, ready for transport in the massive helicopter.

Helen stood above him, her hair blowing like crazy.

"Ready! Lift!" she called and he felt himself be lifted off the ground and on to the floor of the helicopter cabin.

Helen climbed in beside him.

"Hey!" she said softly to him before switching into doctor mode. Nikola followed her with his eyes.

"Ho-How did you find me?" he gasped.

"It was all you Nikola, you were emitting a distress signal with your powers for nearly three days straight before we realized, we followed it here."

"I'm sorry," he groaned.

"What for?" she asked.

"I couldn't save them," he whimpered, he suddenly felt the aches and pains in his body.

Helen softly sighed and smiled at him.

"You saved a lot more than you think you did, Nikola," she gestured to the secondary helicopters filled with the tribes people splayed out across the valley. "You held off the army long enough for them to get away and hide in their underground network of caves."

Nikola grinned weakly.

"I did?" he gasped.

Helen nodded, leaning down and kissing his forehead.

"That is a thank you from them to you," she smiled then leaned down and captured his lips in a soft kiss. "That is from me, for being alive."

Nikola looked up at her, lifting his hand as far it could go and Helen took it.

"I knew you'd come for me," he smiled.

Helen placed a small kiss on the top of his hand and signaled the pilot of the helicopter to take off.

Nikola inhaled a deep breath; this was real, he knew as he closed his eyes and the sound still remained, the beating of the helicopter, the sounds of the wind blowing past them, Helen radioing the Kenya airport. It was all there, no room for silence.

She was right, he would've never been truly happy in that dream; he would've remained there, scared and lonely. He opened his eyes again, and looked at his hand still entwined with Helen's. He liked the sight of it and he smiled to himself.

"This is Dr. Magnus, to Sanctuary-1, we're coming home."

"Roger that. This is Sanctuary-1 to Dr. Magnus, we're awaiting your arrival with a bottle of wine on hand," came Henry over the radio.

Nikola grinned.

"Good, decent lavations, you're learning," he joked.

"You've earned it this time," she teased.

"Have I earned any other favors?" he grinned slyly.

Helen chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"You're incorrigible," she sighed.

"Just one?"

"No," glared Helen.

"Come on, I can't drink alone," he whined,

"Fine, one drink," she shook her head at him.

Nikola smiled and squeezed her hand gently.

"Helen, remember back in Oxford…" he started as the helicopter flew on into the horizon.

He had never been happier to hear so much noise.

_Hello darkness my old friend_

_I've come to talk with you again_

_Because a vision softly creeping_

_Left it's seed while I was sleeping_

_And the vision that was planted in my brain_

_Still remains _

_Within the Sounds of Silence._


End file.
